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Archive for the ‘Gulf of Mexico’ Category

Bay Marchand Pipeline Leak

Posted in accidents, Gulf of Mexico, Offshore Energy - General, oil, tagged , , , on September 6, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Divers identify broken pipeline as source of Gulf oil spill
satellite image provided by Maxar Techologies shows Port Fourchon and slicks on 9/2/2021
  • 12″ pipeline displaced by Ida
  • Approximately 2 miles south of Port Fourchon which took a direct hit from Ida. (Appears that the pipeline is in Louisiana State waters).
  • Water depth = 34′
  • Talos funding spill response, although the company said it was not their pipeline
  • Leak has slowed significantly; apparently production is not entering the line and the spill is limited to pipeline inventory
  • This type of incident is not surprising given the magnitude and track of Ida and the pipeline infrastructure that was exposed to major hurricane conditions

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Small reduction in shut-in volumes

Posted in Gulf of Mexico, hurricanes, Offshore Energy - General, oil, tagged , , , on September 3, 2021| Leave a Comment »

1,698,557 BOPD per BSEE. Updated recovery chart:

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Shell reports damage to WD 143 Hub

Posted in Gulf of Mexico, hurricanes, Offshore Energy - General, oil, tagged , , , , , , on September 3, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Shell Offshore Inc. (Shell), a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell plc, conducted an initial flyover of our assets in the path of Hurricane Ida. During this initial flight, we observed damage to our West Delta-143 (WD-143) offshore facilities. When it is safe to do so, we will send personnel offshore to provide a closer inspection of these facilities to understand the full extent of the damage and the degree to which our production in the Gulf of Mexico will likely be impacted.

Shell news release

This is a very significant report given the importance of the WD 143 platform in transferring all production from Shell facilities in the “Mars corridor.” These facilities include the Mars, Olympus, and Ursa platforms.

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Shut-in Volumes Increase

Posted in Gulf of Mexico, hurricanes, Offshore Energy - General, oil, tagged , , , on September 2, 2021| Leave a Comment »

In a bit of a surprise, the volume of shut-in GoM oil production rebounded to more than 1.7 million BOPD (see BSEE’s 9/2 update). Because several deepwater platforms had reportedly resumed production, the sharp increase in shut-in volumes could have something to do with downstream facility damage or bottlenecks. The daily Ida shut-in volumes are plotted below.

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About 20% of GoM oil production has been restored. EIA reports June production.

Posted in Gulf of Mexico, hurricanes, Offshore Energy - General, oil, tagged , , on September 1, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Presumably, most of the restored GoM production is from platforms like Exxon Hoover that were not subjected to hurricane conditions. Per BSEE, the total oil production shut-in as of 9/1 is 1,455,279.

The latest EIA production report for June 2021 has just been released and GoM oil production averaged 1.825 million BOPD.

from EIA data

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Record of Decision for Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 257 is a Positive Step

Posted in gas, Gulf of Mexico, Offshore Energy - General, oil, Regulation, tagged , , , , on September 1, 2021| Leave a Comment »

In light of the ongoing litigation regarding the Department of the Interior’s “leasing pause,” DOI’s Record of Decision for Sale 257 is most encouraging. The viewpoints expressed in the two quotes below are fundamental to the future of the OCS Oil and Gas Program. Hopefully, all parties can put aside their differences and build upon these consensus views.

While offshore exploration and development cannot be made risk free, OCS oil- and gas-related activities can be conducted safely and responsibly with strong regulatory oversight and appropriate measures to protect human safety and the environment.

ROD, p. 5

The decision to hold Lease Sale 257 recognizes the role that GOM oil and gas resources play in addressing the Nation’s demand for domestic energy sources and fosters economic benefits, including employment, labor income, and tax revenues, which are highest in Gulf Coast States and also distributed widely across the United States. Revenues from offshore oil and gas lease sales support national conservation programs and coastal resiliency for applicable coastal states and political subdivisions under the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006.

ROD, p. 7

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Essentially all GoM oil production remains shut-in

Posted in Gulf of Mexico, hurricanes, Offshore Energy - General, tagged , on August 31, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Consistent with expectations, more than 1.7 million BOPD remains shut-in. Exxon announced that crews are resuming operations at their deepwater Hoover platform. Hoover is west of the Ida storm track and incurred no damage.

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BSEE: 1,721,809 BOPD Shut-in

Posted in Gulf of Mexico, hurricanes, Offshore Energy - General, tagged , , on August 30, 2021| Leave a Comment »

As expected, BSEE’s 8/30 update indicates that the shut-in production volumes remain about the same. The process of inspecting facilities, returning workers (some of whom may be dealing with damage and other challenges at home), and restoring production will take some time.

Other than the sketchy reports about the Globetrotter II, there is no information on Ida-related offshore incidents at this time. .

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Port Fourchon Video

Posted in Gulf of Mexico, hurricanes, Offshore Energy - General, tagged , on August 30, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Port Fourchon, the service hub for the deepwater Gulf, took a direct hit from Ida. This is why you evacuate (including offshore platforms).

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Ida update: 1,740,850 BOPD shut-in; unconfirmed reports of rig damage

Posted in accidents, drilling, Gulf of Mexico, hurricanes, tagged , on August 29, 2021| Leave a Comment »

BSEE’s 8/29 update indicates that over 1.74 million BOPD have been shut-in by Ida. Based on the most recent EIA production data, this is essentially all Gulf of Mexico oil production.

There has also been some early noise on social media about offshore facility damage. None of these reports have been confirmed by the Coast Guard, BSEE, or the companies involved. The most credible reports relate to the Noble Globetrotter II deepwater drillship. Per the reports, allegedly from workers on the rig, the Globetrotter II was hit by Ida before the riser was disconnected and recovered. The rig is reported to have sustained significant damage and there may have been injuries. This type of incident has occurred in the past when dynamically positioned drillships have not successfully pulled their riser and relocated prior to the storm’s arrival. One report indicated 60′ waves and 140 mph winds at the rigs’s location.

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