Gulf Deepwater Activity Continues at High Rate

The Minerals Management Service (MMS) today released information about the deepwater activity levels in the year 2002 in the Gulf of Mexico. “Calendar year 2002 was a year of significant deepwater activity in the Gulf of Mexico despite the general downturn in drilling. Twelve new deepwater discoveries were made and three of these were in 8,000 feet or greater water depths,” said MMS’s Gulf of Mexico Regional Director Chris C. Oynes. Attached is a table of those discoveries.

Fourteen new deepwater projects began production in 2002. These joined the 51 that were already in production for a new total of 65. “Deepwater development projects continue at a fast pace and the 14 new projects in the Gulf of Mexico, include 11 that were subsea production systems that tied back to another project,” said Oynes. This raises the total number of subsea projects to 41 out of the 65 total deepwater projects. Three of the new deepwater starts utilized a spar as a production system. Oynes noted that “we expect a significant rise in the number of deepwater projects that will start production in the year 2003 – perhaps as many as 19.” Attached are tables detailing the projects that began production in 2002 and those planned for 2003.

MMS is the Federal agency in the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages the nation's oil, natural gas, and other mineral resources on the Outer Continental Shelf in Federal offshore waters. The agency also collects, accounts for, and disburses mineral revenues from Federal and American Indian leases. These revenues totaled over $6 billion in 2002 and nearly $127 billion since the agency was created in 1982. Annually, nearly $1 billion from those revenues go into the Land and Water Conservation Fund for the acquisition and development of state and Federal park and recreation lands.

Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Oil and Gas Discoveries

2002

Prospect	Operator	Area/Block	Water Depth (ft)
VORTEX	KERR-MCGEE OIL & GAS CORP.	AT 261	8334
CASCADE	BHP BILLITON PETROLEUM (GOM) INC.	WR 206	8143
GREAT WHITE	SHELL OFFSHORE INC.	AC 857	8009
SHENZI	BHP BILLITON PETROLEUM (GOM) INC.	GC 654	4394
TAHITI	CHEVRON USA INC.	GC 640	4017
WEST NAVAJO	KERR-MCGEE OIL & GAS CORP	EB 689	3905
SLAMMER	SAMEDAN OIL CORP.	MC 849	3599
QUATRAIN	MURPHY EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION	GC 382	3328
DEIMOS	SHELL OFFSHORE INC.	MC 806	3003
-	LLOG EXPLORATION OFFSHORE INC.	GB 205	1330
-	MARINER ENERGY INC.	MC 066	1144
-	ANADARKO PETROLEUM CORP.	MC 401	1134

Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Production Start-Ups
2002

Prospect	Operator	Area/Block	Water Depth (ft)
HORN MTN	BP	MC 126	5400
KING’S PEAK	BP	DC 133	6400
ASPEN	BP	GC 243	3063
NANSEN	KERR-MCGEE	EB 602	3677
BOOMVANG	KERR-MCGEE	EB 642	3548
NAVAJO	KERR-MCGEE	EB 690	4114
CAMDEN HILLS	MARATHON	MC 348	7210
ACONCAGUA	TOTAL FINA ELF	MC 305	7043
KING KONG	AGIP	GC 472	3799
SANGRIA	SPINNAKER	GC 177	1487
LOST ARK	SAMEDAN	EB 421	2740
MADISON	EXXON MOBIL	AC 24	4854
KING	BP	MC 84	5386
EINSET	SHELL	VK 873	3500

2003 Projected

Prospect	Operator	Area/Block	Water Depth (ft)
ARIEL/NAKIKA	SHELL	MC 429	6274
EAST ANSTEY/NAKIKA	SHELL	MC 607	6590
FOURIER/NAKIKA	SHELL	MC 522	6950
HERSCHEL/NAKIKA	SHELL	MC 520	6739
KEPPLER/NAKIKA	SHELL	MC 383	5800
MATTERHORN	TOTAL FINA ELF	MC 243	3085
MEDUSA	MURPHY	MC 582	2100
BORIS	BHP	GC 282	2393
HABENERO	SHELL	GB 341	2000
PRINCESS	SHELL	MC 765	3650
FALCON	PIONEER	EB 579	3422
GUNNISON	KERR-MCGEE	GB 668	3150
GOOSE	SPINNAKER	MC 751	1624
FRONT RUNNER	MURPHY	GC 339	3330
MAD DOG	BP	GC 826	4420
COULOMB	SHELL	MC 657	7600
RED HAWK	KERR-MCGEE	GB 877	5300
MAGNOLIA	CONOCO	GB 783	4694
ZIA	OCEAN	MC 496	1500

-MMS-GOM-

MMS's Website Address: http://www.mms.gov

FOR RELEASE:	February 12, 2003	Contact: Barney Congdon
		(504) 736-2595
		Caryl Fagot
		(504) 736-2590
		Debra Winbush
		(504) 736-2597