Led by Arena’s 9 high bids, shelf operators made a strong showing at Sale BBG3. As illustrated below, the acquiring companies see good opportunities in or near old fields. The BBG3 leases are colored red.
Listed in the table below are the shelf blocks receiving bids. According to Marine Minerals Administration (MMA) online data, wells have been drilled on all 12 blocks and production structures were installed on 7.
According to the online structures file, 5 platforms remain on 2 of the blocks. Production and quarters platforms installed by Exxon in 1982 and 1987 remain on ST 54 along with a caisson structure installed by Walter in 2007. Production platforms installed by GOM Shelf (1966) and Arena (2005) remain on WD 133.
Per the borehole file, 3 of the WD 133 wells have not been plugged. These wells were drilled by Arena and are on the F platform, which is one of the two WD 133 platforms that have not been decommissioned.
Also noteworthy, one well that bottoms on ST 314 has not been plugged. That well was drilled by Renaissance from ST 317, which was reacquired by Renaissance at Sale BBG2. The well ceased production in 2019, but the platform from which it was drilled remains in place on the reacquired lease.
Reuse options and decommissioning obligations for the remaining wells and platforms on leases reissued following BBG3 are no doubt topics for discussion between MMA and the operators.
| Block | high bidder | platforms removed | platforms remaining | wells drilled on lease | completed/ unplugged wells |
| EI 277 | Arena | 2 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| EI 280 | Arena | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| EI 281 | Arena | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| EI 340 | Arena | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| EI 389 | W&T | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| ST 54 | Arena | 5 | 3 | 69 | 8 |
| ST 314 | Renaissance | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 |
| PL 25 | Arena | 5 | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| WD 133 | Renaissance | 1 | 2 | 63 | 3 |
| MI 519 | Arena | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| MI 528 | Arena | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| MI 529 | Arena | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Bud's Offshore Energy (BOE) 