MMS - Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

MMSSCIENCEVOLUME 1 ISSUE 6 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2004

THE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY JOURNAL OF THE MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE

Prevention &Preparedness

Ultra-DeepwaterProduction

If the WorstShould Happen

Is MotherNature aPolluter?

National Oil SpillResponse Test Facility

Accepting Only the Best

Chemistry in the Gulf of Mexico

Prevention &Preparedness

Ultra-DeepwaterProduction

If the WorstShould Happen

Is MotherNature aPolluter?

National Oil SpillResponse Test Facility

Accepting Only the Best

Chemistry in the Gulf of Mexico

2 MMS OCEAN SCIENCE Science & Technology Journal

THE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY JOURNAL OF THE MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2004 Volume 1 Issue 6

3 Prevention & PreparednessHow Research Comes Together

4 Ultra-Deepwater ProductionPart of Our Economic Future

6 If The Worst Should HappenResponding to Oil Spills

8 Is Mother Nature a Polluter?Natural Oil Seeps

9 Oil & Hazardous Materials Simulated Environmental Test TankOHMSETT: National Oil Spill Response Test Facility

10 Oil Spill Prevention –Anticipating the Worst, Accepting Only the Best

11 Chemistry in the Gulf of MexicoScience for Students

12 New WavesLate-breaking News & Information

For more information about the Minerals Management Service, check out our site on the World Wide Web:

www.mms.gov

SubscribeTo receive MMS OCEAN SCIENCE, sign up on the website

www.gomr.mms.gov, click on e-mail subscriptions on the left handcolumn, check the box marked Environmental Studies or e-mail

[email protected] or call (504) 736-2781

MMSSCIENCE

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2004 Volume 1 Issue 6

MMS OCEAN SCIENCE is published bi-monthly by the MineralsManagement Service to communicaterecent ocean science and technologicalinformation and issues of interest relatedto offshore mineral recovery, oceanstewardship, and mineral revenues.

Please address all questions,comments, suggestions, and changesof address to:Mary BoatmanMMS OCEAN SCIENCE EditorMinerals Management Service1201 Elmwood Park BoulevardNew Orleans, LA 70123

[email protected]

(504) 736-2781

ABOUT THE COVERTop:

Oil spill response vessel.

Bottom: Oil spill boom surrounding broken ice.

All photos courtesy of Minerals Management Serviceunless otherwise noted.

Publication services provided by Schatz Publishing Group

3MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2004

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Top left: Airplane demonstrating the spraying ofdispersants. Top center: Recovery of a disk skimmerfor oil removal in ice covered waters. Top right:Testing of the Foxtail brush skimmer off the Alaskancoast. Above: An MMS inspector at an offshorefacility. Above left: An oil-spill response vesselpracticing the deployment of a boom for collectingoil on the surface.

PREVENTION & PREPAREDNESS

moves in the ocean to the way the oilimpacts marine life, MMS works closelywith industry and other governmentagencies, using prevention andpreparedness to ensure that Americabenefits from environmentallyresponsible energy production.

RESEARCHCOMESTOGETHER

There are over 4,000 offshoreoil and gas platformsoperating in the Gulf ofMexico. To the west, 23 platforms operate in

Federal waters off the coast of SouthernCalifornia, and to the north, there isgrowing energy industry interest inAlaskan offshore waters. Yet over the past20 years, less than 0.001 percent of theoil produced from offshore oilproduction facilities on the continentalshelf has been spilled. With the Nation’senergy needs increasingly dependent onoffshore oil and gas production, there isgreat importance placed on research thatwill improve the Minerals ManagementService’s (MMS) ability to protect theecosystems surrounding offshorefacilities.

Every study funded by MMS takes theagency one step closer to a betterunderstanding of how the ocean works.This understanding provides the abilityto predict the potential path of releasedoils and chemicals in the ocean. Throughthe use of testing facilities, scientists areable to take full advantage of advancedtechnology aimed at effective oil-spillprevention and response.

New studies of deepwater currents onthe Gulf of Mexico continental slope arebeing undertaken to provide informa-tion for oil-spill risk analysis and modelvalidation. The MMS’s Oil-Spill Researchprojects continue to provide importantinformation and data used in formingaccurate modeling of potential oil-spillrisk and in the prevention of oil-spilldamage to the ocean environment.

Oil-spill research and responsepreparation are the perfect examples ofhow the many parts of MMS combine toform a solid base for decisionmakingand problem mitigation. From researchon waves and currents and how oil


ULTRA-DEEPWATER PRODUCTION

PART OF OUR ECONOMIC FUTUREdeepwater fold-belts comprisinglarge northeast-southwesttrending com-pressional “boxfolds.” Thevolume potentialof this newresource is enor-mous. Scientistsestimate dozens ofbox folds, eachproviding 1-2billion barrels ofcrude oil equiva-lent reservepotential.However, thechallenges ofrecovering oil andgas resources fromthese ultra-deepwater foldsare tremendous.

The oil and gas industry has madegreat technological achievements in thelast few years. The growing deepwaterinfrastructure indicates that the Gulf ofMexico deepwaters will continue to playan integral role in the Nation’s energysupply. Ongoing MMS research ensuresthat the implementation oftechnological advancements is to thebenefit of everyone: environment,industry, and the American public.Polyester moorings, composite risers, cellspars, and 15,000 pounds-per-square-

The Gulf of Mexico is now inits ninth year of sustainedexpansion of the deepwater(>1,000 feet of water depth)frontier. A total of 65

deepwater projects were underproduction by the end of 2002, 11 morein 2003, and an additional 14 in 2004.The Minerals Management Service(MMS) announced in June that therehave been eight new deepwater oil andgas discoveries since January. The MMSestimates a total of 96 fields inproduction by the end of 2007. Yet theincreasing demand for energy continuesto outstrip domestic production. Tocounteract the potential of aneconomically disastrous reliance on oilimports, exploration of new hydro-carbon reserves in waters deeper than6,000 feet in the ultra-deepwater of theGulf of Mexico has become crucial.

In 1990, about 4 percent of the oiland less than 1 percent of the natural gasproduced on the Gulf’s OuterContinental Shelf (OCS) were fromthose deeper regions. By the end of2003, more than 60 percent of the Gulf’soil production and 23 percent of itsnatural gas came from that area.Production potential from deepwaterresources is estimated at 49.5 billionbarrels of oil equivalent (BOE).

Energy exploration in deepwater isperhaps the most significant area ofinnovation. Deepwater oil and gasdevelopment in the Gulf of Mexico is aworkhorse for U.S. domestic oil and gasproduction. Ocean oil production rose535 percent between 1995 and 2002;deepwater gas production rose 620percent over those same years. If currenttrends continue, by 2006 as much as 77percent of daily oil production in theGulf and 26 percent of daily gasproduction could come from thedeepwater regions.

Ultra-deepwater exploration (>5,000feet of water depth) has uncoveredexciting reservoir possibilities. One newdiscovery is what scientists term a“significant new play concept”: ultra-

What is a BOE?

A BOE (barrel of oil equivalent) is a unit of energy equal to the amountof energy contained in a barrel (42 liquid gallons) of crude oil. Theboe is used for giving comparative overall production figures that

include both oil and natural gas. It is approximately equal to 6.12x109J (joule),based on the approximate energy released by burning one barrel of crude oil.The energy content of natural gas varies because of minor variations in theamount and types of energy gases (methane, ethane, propane, butane) itcontains — the more non-combustible gases in a natural gas, the lower thegigajoule value. Unless otherwise noted, a boe is assumed to refer to 6,000cubic feet (6 Mcf) of natural gas.

inch subsea trees were unheard of untilrecently. The effort to develop newtechnologies that can economicallyrecover energy resources from ultra-deepwater is intense and ongoing.

According to MMS Director JohnnieBurton, “This effort made by the oil andgas companies, the marine serviceindustry, fabrication yards, suppliers ofall types (such as drilling mud, pipemanufacturers, computer components,

The spar structure Genesis, owned byChevronTexaco, operates in a water depth of 2,590feet in the Gulf of Mexico.

5MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2004 5

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underwater survey vehicles), and 30,000personnel who work offshore every dayis truly an amazing story for the country.Their hard work has paid great dividendsfor the Nation in providing securesources of energy resulting in manythousands of jobs in the United States.”

Offshore oil production nowaccounts for about 30 percent of total

domestic production – more thandouble what it was just 12 years ago.Experts estimate it may increase to asmuch as 40 percent by 2010.

In addition to providing access tocritical energy and other mineralresources needed for the Nation’seconomic well-being, MMS also collectsand disburses around $8 billion a year

in mineral revenues – $135 billion since1982. The MMS is a leader in securingocean energy and economic value forAmerica.

Preparing for the Future: Projecting Oil and Gas Production

The MMS, Gulf of Mexico Region, recently released new oil and gas daily production rate projections that reflectproduction rates into the year 2013. According to the new report, Gulf of Mexico Oil and Gas Production Projections:2004-2013(MMS 2004-065), a daily oil production rate of 2.13 million barrels by the end of 2013 is estimated, along

with a daily gas production rate of 13.49 billion cubic feet.

Most of the oil production and a significant portion of the gas production come from the deepwater area, defined aswater depths 1,000 feet or greater. Deepwater operators were surveyed in order to forecast short-term production based ontheir previous production rates. Gulf oil production was an estimated 1.537 million barrels a day in 2003. Since 1997,shallow-water oil production has declined steadily, but has been offset by increased deepwater production. It is estimatedthat 62 percent of the 2003 oil came from the deepwater area, which surpassed shallow-water oil production in March 2000.Deepwater Operator Surveys indicate that deepwater oil production will increase significantly over the next few years.

Gas production has followed similar trends to that of oil production, with a decline in total gas production in 2002 and2003, going from 13.83 billion cubic feet per day in 2001 to an estimated 12.19 billion cubic feet in 2003. For gasproduction rates to rise above current levels, significant contributions would be necessary from undiscovered deepwaterprojects.

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Total Gulf of MexicoOil Production

Total Gulf of MexicoGas Production

The above figures include actual total oil and gasproduction including expected production through2006. Values beyond 2006 include industryannounced discoveries, extrapolated estimates fromsurveys, and estimated undiscovered resources.

initiator, funder,and participantprovidingscientific ideas ora provider offacilities or otherresources. Current

OSRR projects cover the spectrum of oil-spill response issues including remotesensing, behavior of oil, mechanicalcontainment and recovery, chemicaltreating agents, in situ burning, and operation ofOhmsett – The National Oil SpillResponse Test Facility.

Funding for research through theOSRR Program and at Ohmsett isprovided from the Oil Spill LiabilityTrust Fund (OSLTF). The OSLTF receivesfunds from a five cents tax on each barrelof oil produced in or imported into thecountry and from interest on the fundprincipal, recovery of costs and damagesfrom parties responsible for oil spills,


In the event of an accidental oilspill, the ideal response would berapid and completely effective. For

over 20 years, the Minerals ManagementService (MMS) has funded researchprograms to improve oil-spill responsetechnologies to make that ideal responsepossible. The Oil Spill Response Research(OSRR) program is at the forefront ofresearch efforts to improve our capabilityto detect and respond to open ocean oilspills. The MMS is the principal U.S.Government agency funding OSRR. TheOSRR program is a contract researchprogram, where research is performed byacademic institutions, governmentlaboratories, and private industry. TheMMS involvement varies as project

Above: Boom used tocontain spilled oil inwater covered with athin layer of ice. Left: A platform in theGulf of Mexicodamaged by HurricaneLili. No oil was spilled.

and penalties assessed to those parties.As intended by the Oil Pollution Act(OPA), companies that produce ortransport oil are supporting research toimprove oil-spill response capabilities.Funding from OPA has enabled MMS tomaintain a long-term OSRR programwhen funds for research anddevelopment from other sources aredeclining.

Mechanical cleanup and physicalrecovery of spilled oil is the mostcommon and environmentallyacceptable method currently used fordealing with oil spills. This techniqueutilizes booms and skimmers to containand remove oil from the water’s surface.In the Gulf of Mexico, about 19 vesselswith skimmers stand ready to respond toa spill. Containment booms are usuallyone of the first pieces of equipment atthe scene of a spill and one of the last tobe removed. Containment boomslocalize the spill and concentrate the oilinto thicker layers for removal byskimming devices. The recovery rate formechanical cleanup at sea is generally10-20 percent of the spill. The remainderof the oil either evaporates or eventually

IF THE WORST SHOULD HAPPEN

TO OIL SPILLS


Oil-Spill Statistics • The U.S. uses about 700 million gallons of oil every day.

• Eleven platform spills and 16 pipeline spills greater than 1,000 barrels of oiloccurred between 1964 and 1999. These spills make up the entire record(begun in 1964) for U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) spills greater thanor equal to 1,000 barrels.

• Total U.S. OCS production from 1964 to 1999 is estimated at 12 billionbarrels of crude oil and condensate, approximately 95% of which istransported by pipeline and 5% by tanker or barge.

• Over the past 20 years, less than 0.001 percent of the oil produced from theU.S. OCS has been spilled from offshore oil production facilities.

• Read more about Oil Spill Facts in: www.mms.gov/stats/PDFs/2002_OilSpillFacts.pdf

Right: Oil spill response personnel training at theOhmsett facility using an oil-spill boom to trap theoil and a skimmer to remove the oil from the surface.

Controlled burning of an oil spill onthe surface of the water is known as insitu burning. In situ burning requires afire resistant boom, igniters, and specialtraining, but (in some cases) is moreeffective than mechanical containmentand recovery. Studies have shown that insitu burning can remove large quantitiesof oil from the surface in a rapid,effective, and environmentally safemanner. Because the oil is gasifiedduring the combustion process, the needfor physical collection, storage,transportation, and disposal is reducedto a small percentage of the original spillvolume that remains as residue afterburning.

The MMS is designated as the leadagency for in situ burn research in theOil Pollution Technology and ResearchPlan prepared under OPA. The MMS hasassembled a comprehensivecompendium of scientific literatureentitled In Situ Burning of Oil Spills:Resource Collection, MMS Project 102, thatdescribes the role of in situ burning as aresponse option for the control, removal,and mitigation of marine oil spills. Alloperational aspects of burning arecovered in detail. The potential impacts

is mixed and dispersed in the water.Mechanical cleanup is labor intensive,difficult in currents greater than 1 knot,and generates a mix of oil, water, anddebris that must be disposed of throughrecycling, incineration, or placement in alandfill.

In an effort to increase the recoveryrate for mechanical booms andskimmers, new designs are being refinedand tested. Booms with the ability towithstand higher current and wave forcesare now being investigated. Fast waterskimming systems, which are effective inocean currents up to 3 knots, will soonbe commercially available. Ice booms forrecovery of coldwater oil spills are alsobeing explored.

Another method of responding to oilspills is with the use of chemicaldispersants that can be applied to thespilled oil. Chemical dispersants aredesigned to break up the surface oilslicks permanently and disperse the oilas fine droplets into the water column sothat the natural mixing action will dilutethe subsurface oil concentration. Thisaction transfers the oil from one location(the water’s surface) to another (spreadout within the water column), wherenatural biodegradation can occur. Eachdispersant must pass a series of testsfrom the U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency establishing its effectiveness andpotential toxicity.

of this technique on the environmentand on human health and safety are alsoaddressed. The 2-CD set includes asubstantial percentage of the scientificand technical literature on research,development, planning, andimplementation undertaken byhundreds of individuals and dozens oforganizations. It contains more than 350documents with over 13,000 pages andnearly one hour of video. This report isavailable free of charge and can beobtained by sending an email [email protected] or calling 703-736-1556.

The safety record of the oil industryoperating on the Outer ContinentalShelf has been exemplary over the last20 years. The MMS is striving to ensurethat the number of spills remains lowand continues to decrease. Continuedresearch and technological advancesguarantee successful prevention andprotection against the worst happening.

FFOROR MOREMORE INFORMAINFORMATIONTION::

MMS Oil Spill Response ResearchWebsite: www.mms.gov/tarphome

Oil Spill Response Research ProgramWebsite: www.mms.gov/taroilspills

In Situ Burn ResearchWebsite: www.mms.gov/

tarprojectcategories/insitu.htm

Mechanical Containment and RecoveryWebsite: www.mms.gov/

tarprojectcategories/mechanic.htm

Chemical Treating AgentsWebsite: www.mms.gov/

tarprojectcategories/chemical.htm

FFOROR MOREMORE INFORMAINFORMATIONTION::

Natural Seepage Along theCalifornia CoastWebsite: www.mms.gov/

omm/pacific/enviro/seeps1.htm

Chemosynthetic CommunitiesWebsite: www.gomr.mms.gov/

homepg/regulate/environ/chemo/chemo.html

If you look at the pure numbers,Mother Nature is an unrepentantpolluter. In the Santa Barbara Channel

alone, she spills an estimated 100 barrelsof oil a day. But that is not the wholestory. While accidental spills can be verydestructive to ecosystems, natural spillsfrom oil seeps are taken in stride by theenvironment.

Oil and gas seeps are natural leaks ofliquid and gaseous hydrocarbons thatescape gradually from undergroundpockets. The vents that leak are com-monly only about one-half centimeterwide, although they can be much larger.The release of oil has been described as“patchy.” Rates of seepage can changewith the seasons, tides, and earthquakeactivity. The rates can also change as theoil reservoir from which they draw isdepleted. It is the gradual, patchy natureof the leak that enables the environmentto cope with the influx of potentiallydamaging hydrocarbons. By contrast,offshore oil spills from production andtransportation are characterized by arelease of oil that blankets one place in ashort period. The environment can beoverwhelmed, especially if a spillcontacts a shoreline, and the short-termimpact can be severe.

The influx of organic matter fromnatural oil seeps and the resultingmicrobial production may stimulategrowth in certain animal and plantspecies. Gas seeps and vents on thebottom of the Gulf of Mexico have beenfound to host extraordinary communi-ties of tubeworms and mussel beds thatgrow by means of chemosynthesis. Theprocess requires no light and producesno oxygen, unlike photosynthesis. Insome places, leaking gas becomes gashydrate, an ice-like substance that formsat high pressures when gas is trapped inwater crystals. Tiny worms have beendiscovered living on hydrate outcrops.

Oil and gas seeps occur not only inthe Gulf of Mexico and California, butalso in Alaska. There are a reported 29


IS MOTHER NATURE A POLLUTER?

NATURAL OIL SEEPS

A gas hydrate outcrop in the Gulf of Mexico with ice worms living in the depressions. Photo courtesy of theGeochemical and Environmental Research Group (GERG).

study, there is no doubt that the seepshave had a positive effect on the historyof the local area. Native American tribes,including the Chumash, Yokuts,Achomawi, and Maidu, used tar fromthe seeps for ceremonial purposes –painting their faces with the sticky, blacksubstance. It was also used for water-proofing boats and roofs. When thesettlers came from the East, they used theoil to grease their wagon wheels. Perhapseven more important in the modernworld, many major oil fields in theworld were discovered by tracing oilseeps to their origins.

It is clear that, while Mother Naturemay appear to be a polluter, the seepsthat seem so unsightly have been avaluable resource. As more research iscompiled, and new energy sources sur-rounding them are explored, they mayprove even more valuable in the future.

oil seep areas along the Alaskan coast. It is estimated that the seepage rates inAlaska are smaller than those inCalifornia. The lower water temperatureof the Alaskan coast also producesslower oil degradation.

As part of its mission as steward ofthe OCS energy and marine mineralresources, MMS funds studies of oil andgas seeps and their effects on localecosystems. One important research areais the detection of the origin of oilsdeposited on the ocean’s surface or onthe shoreline. It is important to establishwhether the deposit is from natural seepsor a spill. To make the identificationpossible, MMS has begun a program thatseeks to map the activity, location, anddestination of natural oil seeps. Inconjunction with the United StatesGeological Survey (USGS), MMS iscreating a database of oil “fingerprints”that can be used by State and Federalscientists to ascertain the source of the oilresidue. The MMS has also funded astudy, Studying and Verifying the Use ofChemical Biomarkers for Identifying andQuantitating Oil Residues in the Environ-ment (MMS 2000-086), to identifytarballs through the use of biomarkers,which are specific chemical groupsunique to the original oil.

While questions about the short- andlong-term effects of oil seeps on localecosystems are a source of continued

9

OIL & HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SIMULATED ENVIRONMENTAL TEST TANK

OHMSETT: NATIONAL OIL SPILLRESPONSE TEST FACILITY

Above: Students training at the facility. The tankallows for the large-scale deployment of boom, and practice with a wide range of equipment. Inset: An aerial view of the Ohmsett facility. Below left: An oil-spill boom is being tested during a controlled, in situ burn at the facility.

Ohmsett is a large, abovegroundconcrete test tank used to test oil-spill containment and removal

technologies. It is so large (over twofootball fields) that engineers are able totest full-sized booms and skimmers andother containment and cleanupequipment with a variety of crude oilsand petroleum products. This enormoustank can artificially produce waves tosimulate rough seas. It holds 2.6 milliongallons of clear saltwater maintained byfiltration systems so that video camerascan record the tests unhampered bycloudy water.

Since reactivation in 1992, Ohmsetthas been used by the public and privatesector for evaluation of oil-spill responseequipment and technologies such ascontainment booms, skimmers,temporary storage devices, oil-waterseparators, sorbents, and chemicaldispersants. The facility is also used forresearch in remote sensing, formation ofemulsions in warm and cold water andthe evaluation of a fire resistant boomusing an air-injected propane burnersystem. MMS has recently upgraded thetesting capabilities at Ohmsett to providea controlled environment for cold watertesting and training in realistic brokenice conditions. This upgrade will allowOhmsett to remain operational yearround. Ohmsett was originally built bythe U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency and operated by that agency

Is it adsorb or absorb?What’s the difference?

These two words are easily confused by the simpleexchange of a “b” for a “d.” The differences are subtle butimportant to scientists. A material is adsorbed when it isstuck on the surface of another material. This works forliquids sticking to the surface of a cloth. The liquid isabsorbed when it is taken into the material like a spongesoaking up water.

MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2004

from 1974 to 1987. In 1989, responsi-bility for the facility was given to the U.S.Navy (USN), since the facility is locatedon a Naval Weapons Station inLeonardo, New Jersey. In 1990, Congressgave MMS the lead responsibility foroperation and maintenance. The facilitywas refurbished and reopened for testingin 1992. All of Ohmsett’s operating costsare covered by the Oil Spill LiabilityTrust Fund.

Today, Ohmsett is a premier trainingsite for spill response personnel and newresponse technologies. Approximately120 responders are trained each year ona variety of cleanup techniques. The U.S.Coast Guard and USN use the facility fortraining their emergency responsepersonnel. Originally, the facility wasdesigned to test simple mechanicaltechnologies. These capabilities are now

expanded to include dispersants, remotesensing, and in situ burn testing. Thefacility is open to all private and publicsector clients on a reimbursable basis.

FFOROR MMOREORE IINFORMANFORMATIONTION::

Ohmsett FacilityWebsite: www.ohmsett.com

Website: www.mms.gov/tarprojectcategories/ohmsett.htm

The selection of anoperator to participate in anunannounced drill is basedon such factors as thenumber of oil producingfacilities, the volume of oilproduction, and proximity tosensitive areas. With an eye tothe operator’s current activi-ties, a location is chosen anda spill scenario is developed.There are three types ofexercises: Table Top, Mobili-zation, and Mobilization andEquipment Deployment.During these exercises, anMMS monitoring teampresents to the Incident

Commander a scenario involving one ormore of the operator’s facilities and thenobserves the Spill Management Team’ssimulated or actual response.

At the conclusion of a drill, the MMSmonitoring team discusses with the SpillManagement Team the strong and weakareas of the response. The MMS requiresthat a written report be submitted within15 days with complete documentationof the exercise. The MMS then prepares awritten evaluation of the exercise.Exemplary responses are acknowledgedand recommendations/requirements forimprovement are given when warrantedby MMS. An Incident of Noncompliancemay be issued for poor performance.


OIL-SPILL PREVENTION – ANTICIPATING THE WORST,

ACCEPTING ONLY THE BEST

Surprisingly,offshore facilitiesand pipelinesaccount for lessthan 2 percent of

the total oil spilled in ourNation’s waters. (MotherNature spills the mostthrough natural oil seeps.)However, the MineralsManagement Service (MMS)is working constantly to doeven better by anticipatingthe worst case and planningwith the best tools.

Currently, comprehensiveOil Spill Response Plans(OSRP’s) are required ofevery owner or operator of a present orproposed production facility on theOuter Continental Shelf (OCS).Included in the response plan is a “worstcase” discharge response plan. The planmust include the identification of anyonshore areas that could be affected byan accidental oil spill. To identify theseareas, the Oil Spill Risk Assessment(OSRA) model is used. The modelsimulates the anticipated trajectory of asurface oil slick by using temporally andspatially varying models of ocean currentand wind fields.

In addition to developing the likelytrajectory of the spill, the lessee isrequired to outline the availability of the

appropriate equipment and materials,the necessary trained personnel, and thetime needed to deploy those resources inthe event of a “worst case” spill. The planmust also outline responses to less severespills or emergencies. The OSRP directivewas implemented to ensure that thecapability exists and is available for a fullresponse to any accidental spill.

To verify the plans work, the MMSGulf of Mexico Region initiated theUnannounced Oil Spill Drill Program.The program was initiated to test theability of offshore oil and gas andpipeline operators to contain or mitigateand clean up an oil spill by using theprocedures and resources defined intheir Oil Spill Response Plans.

Rusty Wright, Oil Spill ProgramAdministrator, said, “The fact that MMSconducts about 20 oil spill drills a yearhas helped industry improve theircapability to respond to actual oil spills.”

Regional Director Chris Oynes said,“Since the inception of theUnannounced Oil Spill Drill Program,MMS has observed that the responsecapabilities, response efficiencies, andresponse training have improved towhere the oil and gas industry in theGulf of Mexico is prepared to respondproperly in the event of an actual oilspill.”

The response team during a spill drill must first assign the role of eachparticipant and outline responsibilities based on the company’s oil spill responseplan.

The U.S. Coast Guard observes and assists with theresponse team during the drill. An effectiveresponse requires that everyone works together as ateam.At 1 of the 20 drills conducted each year, the

response team works together at a table top exercise.


CHEMISTRY IN THE GULF OF MEXICO

SCIENCE FOR STUDENTS

Why is river drainagegood for plants butbad for shrimp andcrabs? Why are there“rain” and “chimneys”

on the sea bottom? Where do eddies goto die? These are some of the questionsanswered by posters and teacher’scompanion guides available through theMinerals Management Service (MMS).The materials are part of MMS’s programto educate the public in general andstudents in particular about the naturalresources and environment that they willinherit.

“Chemistry in the Gulf of Mexico” isjust one of a series of posters and guidesproduced by MMS that make scientificstudies in the Gulf understandable andchallenging. Students are given basicconcepts in ways that make them easilyunderstood, but presented projects thatwill challenge them to think aboutproblems and processes.

One lesson concerns hypoxia, acondition in which the dissolved oxygenconcentration of water decreases below 2 milligrams/liter (normal is 5-8milligrams/liter). Hypoxia occurs in theGulf because rivers, such as theMississippi, dump nutrients andsediments from land-derived organicmatter and runoff from farmland andcities into the ocean. This bringsadditional nourishment to plantsgrowing in the water column

(phytoplankton). When the plants useall the nutrients, they die and sink to thebottom, where they decay, using up allthe oxygen in the process. Shrimp, crab,and fish in the area are deprived of theoxygen they need and must move tosurvive.

Students are challenged to look at theproblem from many points of view:those of the government, scientists,farmers, shrimpers, oil industry,commercial fishermen, citizens,environmental groups, and the fertilizerindustry. Each area is researched anddialogue is established among all thestakeholders to explore solutions to theproblem.

Sources of Oil Inputs into Marine EnvironmentsIn a 2002 study, the National Research Council of the National Academy of

Sciences concluded that North America petroleum inputs into marineenvironments were the result of the following:

• 63% - Natural seepage

• 22% - Municipal and industrial waste and runoff

• 8% - Atmospheric fallout from consumption

• 3% - Marine transportation

• 2% - Recreational marine vessels

• 2% - Offshore oil and gas development

Detrital “rain” is another processwhich is explored. Tiny animals calledzooplankton live in the ocean alongwith phytoplankton. When they die,their bodies sink to the bottom. Thisconstant downflux of zooplankton andphytoplankton is called detrital rain. Theremains are eaten by bacteria anddegrade into nitrates, phosphates, andother nutrients. This process consumesoxygen and brings about hypoxicconditions as well.

And the chimneys? The chimneys aremade of tiny crystal rosettes of baritethat link together in long chains. Thebarium comes from salt domes belowthe seafloor. These domes are dissolvingand the salt that results migrates upthrough cracks in the sediment. Whenbarium comes in contact with thesulfates in seawater, barium sulfateresults and precipitates into chimneys.

The answer to the question “Wheredo eddies go to die?” can be found at theMMS website at http://www.gomr.mms.gov/homepg/regulate/environ/studies/2001-066.pdf.

The “Chemistry in the Gulf ofMexico” poster and teacher’s companioncan be ordered from MineralsManagement Service, Gulf of MexicoOCS Region, Attn: Public InformationOffice (MS 5034), 1201 Elmwood ParkBlvd., New Orleans, LA 70123.

Right: Hydratemound with

bubbles escaping.Photo courtesy of

Texas A&MUniversity,

Geochemical andEnvironmental

Research Group(GERG)

MMS OCEAN SCIENCEMinerals Management ServiceMail Stop 54311201 Elmwood Park BoulevardNew Orleans, LA 70123

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PERMIT NO. 1ADDISON, IL

Securing Ocean Energyand Economic Value

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Platform Harmony in the Santa Barbara Channel.

When Mother Nature Talks, MMS and Industry ListenThis hurricane season has been an

especially active one. Hurricanes Charley,Frances, and Ivan have devastated thecoastlines of Florida and brought severeweather to the Gulf. Because of thepotential impact of hurricanes and tropicalstorms on oil and gas production facilities,the oil industry and Minerals ManagementService (MMS) work together to make surethat workers are safe and pollution eventrisks are minimized.

To minimize potential damage fromstorms, structures are now required to bedesigned to withstand a 100-year stormevent. Nonessential personnel are

evacuated early and all others leave beforethe wind and seas make transportimpossible. Producing wells are shut downthrough the use of valves on platforms andat the well heads. Industry is required tohave safety valves both at the surface of thewell and subsurface to reduce the potentialfor an oil spill or gas leak.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan, fewof the 4,000 platforms or the 117 rigsworking in the Gulf sustained majordamage. Of the 33,000 miles of pipeline,only a few leaks were initially reported, butseveral pipelines were later found to havesignificant damage. Although the amount

of structural damage was relatively minor,the impacts on production were significant.Even by early October, three weeks after thestorm, approximately 471,000 barrels of oiland 1.7 million cubic feet of natural gaswere still shut in.

Most of the 25,000 to 30,000 workersinvolved in the production of offshore oiland natural gas are back at work. Despitethe fury of Ivan, there were no reports ofany injuries, fatalities, or significant pollu-tion associated with offshore facilities – a significant tribute to the programs inplace for safeguarding life, property, andthe environment.

MMS - Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

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