America's Offshore Energy Future http://www.gomr.mms.gov/PDFs/2008/2008-013.pdf "The deepwater GOM will play an important part in the Nation’s future energy supply. A large inventory of active deepwater leases is available to the industry for exploration. Traditional deepwater minibasin plays, and new ultra-deepwater plays near and even beyond the Sigsbee Escarpment, beneath thick salt canopies, and in lightly explored Lower Tertiary reservoirs are all being actively explored and developed. New technology is also advancing to facilitate ultra-deepwater activities. Likewise, growth in deepwater infrastructure will occur. All of these factors will ensure that the deepwater GOM will remain one of the world’s premier oil and gas basins.
Some Firsts and Bests from the GoMR (Gulf of Mexico Region) Report: http://www.gomr.mms.gov/PDFs/2008/2008-013.pdf • Sale 206 attracted approximately $3.7 billion in high bids – the most since Federal offshore leasing began in 1954. The sum of the high bids for deepwater blocks was 93.2 percent of the total. • Sale 224 was the first lease offering in the Eastern Gulf since 1988. This is also the first sale where the revenue sharing provisions of the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 start immediately. • Sale 205 was an exceptional lease offering that attracted over $2.9 billion in high bids on 723 blocks – the third largest total in U.S. offshore leasing history. • A record high of 15 rigs were operating in ultra-deep water (>=5,000 ft or 1,524 m) in 2007. • At least 13 new drilling rigs are being built and contracted for use in the ultra-deepwater Gulf and will be ready for operation in the next 2-3 years—they will be capable of operating in water depths up to 12,000 ft (3,658 m) and drilling up to 40,000 ft (12,192 m) in depth. • For the first time, all of the 20 most prolific producing blocks in the GOM are located in deep water. • Several fields associated with the Independence Hub production facility came online in 2007. When the hub is at full capacity, the gas production will represent over 10 percent of the total GOM gas production. • Cheyenne, one of the subsea fields tying back to Independence Hub, has the deepest production in the GOM to date, in a water depth of 8,960 ft (2,731 m). • The first FPSO for use in the U.S. GOM will be installed for the development of the Cascade and Chinook Fields in Walker Ridge, with first oil expected in 2010. • Another first for the GOM will be the installation of a ship-shape, dynamically positioned, disconnectable turret FPU for the Phoenix development in Green Canyon, with a planned production startup in the third quarter of 2008. • The Perdido Regional Development hub will produce the Great White, Tobago and Silvertip discoveries in Alaminos Canyon beginning in 2010. Once installed, the truss spar will set a new record as the deepest spar in over 8,000 ft (2,438 m) of water depth. • The Atlantis semisubmersible platform in the deepwater GOM is the deepest moored, floating oil and gas production facility in the world.
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