Jaime Kammerzell • Houston
GoM platforms damaged, lost
In the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan, Gulf of Mexico operators have indicated that it could be weeks or months before production returns to pre-hurricane levels. Hurricane Ivan barreled through the Gulf of Mexico on Sept. 15 bringing with it 55-ft waves.
Of the 4,000 platforms and 117 rigs working in the Gulf, few sustained major damage. Thirteen leaks occurred in the 33,000 mi of pipeline, and most of the 25,000 to 30,000 workers involved in the production of offshore oil and natural gas are back at work.
The US Minerals Management Service has reported cumulative (Sept. 11-Oct. 19) shut-in oil production amounted to 22.2 MMbbl, which is equivalent to 3.7% of the yearly GoM production of 605 MMbbl. The cumulative (Sept. 11-Oct. 19) shut-in gas production amounted to 92.5 bcf, equivalent to 2.1% of the yearly GoM production of 4.45 tcf. Shut-in numbers will continue to rise as repairs could take months.
This artist rendering shows installations in Hurricane Ivan's path through the GoM.
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Five MODUs broke free of their moorings during the storm. Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc. found its semisubmersible drilling rig Ocean Star 12 mi from its pre-storm location, which was in 2,423 ft of water in the Viosca Knoll area. Diamond's Ocean America also parted its mooring during the height of the hurricane, and its jackup rig Ocean Warwick sustained damage to the unit's legs and jacking system. Transocean Inc. reported its semisubmersible rig Deepwater Nautilus moved more than 70 mi northeast of its original location. Ensco International Inc. said its jackup drilling rig Ensco 64 was located afloat 80 mi southeast of Venice, Louisiana, 40 mi south of its drilling location. The rig was operating in Main Pass block 280 for Dominion E&P. The company also has received a preliminary report from a third party of damage to the helideck of platform rigs Ensco 25. And Noble Corp. said its semisubmersible Noble Jim Thompson, originally on Mississippi Canyon block 383, drifted to Mississippi Canyon block 656, 30 mi southeast of its original location. Noble reports the only damage of a significant nature is to the starboard crane boom.
Noble also reported three of its platforms – in Main Pass block 293A, Main Pass block 305C, and Main Pass block 306E – are missing and there is a damaged platform in Main Pass block 305B.
Several more platforms sustained damage during the storm. Dominion E&P has confirmed damage to the Devils Tower production spar, including the Pride International platform rig 1503E, which sustained damage to its mast and related equipment. Devils Tower came online in May and has five more wells to drill and complete. Net production reached 5,000 b/d and 4 MMcf/d before operations were suspended in anticipation of the hurricane. Production could resume as early as three weeks, subject to repairs and approvals by the Mineral Management Service and other agencies. (Related story on page 36).
Nabors Industries' 1,000-hp platform workover/reentry rig, MODS 141, sustained extensive damage during Hurricane Ivan while working for Murphy Exploration and Production Co. on its Medusa spar platform in Mississippi Canyon blocks 538 and 582. The Medusa spar also incurred minor damage that will also be repaired during this interval.
Pioneer reported that the topsides of the Canyon Station shallow-water platform, part of the Canyon Express gas-gathering system, appears to have sustained minimal damage.
Pipeline leaks totaled 13, and one resulted in a fire, which burned out. El Paso said it sustained damage to an underwater natural gas pipeline that started to leak during the storm. The company isolated and shut down the 24-in. pipeline, 50 mi offshore.
Damage to the GoM platforms will generate repair, engineering, and service work, boosting the GoM economy.
Major damage from Hurricane Ivan:
- Five mobile offshore drilling units (MODU) were adrift. All were located. One MODU was reported to be leaning about 3°
- Seven fixed platforms were destroyed
- One fixed platform was leaning
- One rig derrick installed on a spar was missing
- One platform rig derrick was leaning over the edge of the spar on which it was installed
- Two spars had extensive damage
- One MODU had extensive damage
- Four platforms had extensive damage
- Thirteen pipelines were leaking
Signa Engineering of Houston recently offered another session of its Fundamentals of Petroleum training. The three-day course, taught by Ben Siegel, manager of Technical Services for Signa, covered the basics of exploration, drilling, and production, beginning with the basics of petroleum geology from geologic structures to formation and mechanisms. Most of the class time was spent on drilling operations, tools, and procedures, and included sessions on drilling fluids, bits, casing, and cementing. The class ended with an overview of production.
The course included a field trip to a Weatherford International training rig in Houston that allowed students time on the drilling floor and hands-on examination of the drilling tools, mud tanks, blowout preventers, and related equipment.
As a recent graduate, I can vouch for the value of the course for those without specific training or field experience in the drilling side of the industry.
