It’s a Brave New World (Gulf of Mexico)
Assessing and Minimizing the Catastrophic Effects of hurricanes on offshore production platforms.
The United States has become increasingly dependent on fossil fuels as its major energy source, and as foreign sources have become increasingly susceptible to instability, the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) has grown into a major factor of this Nation’s energy policy. GoM oil production accounts for approximately 30 percent of domestic oil usage and GoM gas production provides for approximately 21 percent of domestic gas usage. Deepwater (greater than 400 meters), with its prolific reservoirs, accounts for the largest portion of the GOM production at present. Clearly, the effects of any catastrophic disaster such as Hurricane Ivan, which disrupted approximately 25 percent of the GoM's production and significantly affected this Nation’s energy supply and, subsequently the financial markets, is unacceptable to the Nation’s interest. It is incumbent upon the Minerals Management Service to pursue all means to minimize these catastrophic effects. In an attempt to fulfill this objective, the MMS is reviewing platform design criteria, mobile offshore drilling unit (MODU) mooring effectiveness, and severe weather pipeline stability. This paper will discuss the status of this endeavor.
