The fishing and offshore energy industries have coexisted for decades in shelf waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico. This coexistence has been amicable and apparently not detrimental, as productivities of both industries have ranked highly in their respective global arenas since the 1950's. Some are of the opinion that the offshore oil and gas industry has actually improved or even created fisheries due to the artificial reef effect that more than 4,000 offshore platforms and structures have had on the regional fish fauna. As a result of the artificial reef effect of structures, recreational...

The existing crude oil, natural gas, and refined product pipeline maps of Louisiana are outdated, limited by small scale, and contain a number of significant errors. The Louisiana Geological Survey (LGS) has an ongoing program to gather accurate, large-scale maps and engineering diagrams directly from the pipeline operators to create a reliable, large-scale digital pipeline map and spatial database for statewide GIS applications. A large number of these source maps were uncontrolled, schematic, small-scale, and otherwise problematic. These maps were unsuitable for GIS database entry without...

Northern Gulf of Mexico Offshore Louisiana is a mature oil and gas exploration province where nearly 18,000 oil and gas wells have been drilled since 1947. Deepwater exploration and development are predicted to increase in the future such that by the first decade of the 21st century, 45% of all domestic oil and gas will be produced from new offshore developments.

The United States Minerals Management Service (MMS) is mandated to manage the development of GOM oil and natural gas resources, while also ensuring safe operations and protection of the human and natural environment. As a part of this overall management responsibility, the MMS must consider possible impacts from chemicals used in oil and gas development to both the natural and human socio-economic environments. To accomplish this, an understanding of the types and quantities of chemical products used offshore, especially in deep water, as well as their potential impact is needed. This report...

The United States Minerals Management Service (MMS) is mandated to manage the development of GOM oil and natural gas resources, while also ensuring safe operations and protection of the human and natural environment. As a part of this overall management responsibility, the MMS must consider possible impacts from chemicals used in oil and gas development to both the natural and human socio-economic environments. To accomplish this, an understanding of the types and quantities of chemical products used offshore, especially in deep water, as well as their potential impact is needed. This report...

The Forecasts in this report predict the number of new offshore structures to be installed, removed, and operated on the Gulf of Mexico OCS over the next twenty-five-years 1999-2023. The forecasts were made by using econometric modeling techniques on historical data from 1947-1946.

Port Fourchon, Louisiana's only port directly adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico, is located on the Coast of Lafourche Parish. The port is strategically positioned to serve industrial activity associated with the exploration and development of the vast oil and gas resources, which lie beneath the Gulf. Although a relativly young port when compared with ports such as New Orleans or Galveston.

This model and user guide were prepared under contract between the Minerals Management Service(MMS) and Research and Planning Consultants, Inc. This report has been technically reviewed by the MMS, and it has been approved for publication. Approval does not signify that the contents necessarily reflect the views and policies of the MMS, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. It is, however, exempt from review and compliance with the MMS editorial standards.

The Louisiana-Texas Shelf Physical Oceanography Program ( LATEX), sponsored by the Minerals Management Service, was funded to improve the understanding of circulation and associated casual mechanisms on the Louisiana and Texas continental shelves. Circulation in this region is complex as it is influenced by several time-varying environmental factors including wind forcing, river discharges, and the location and intensity of detached Loop Current warm-core eddies.

By dint of fate or good fortune, the Gulf of Mexico has a large share of the country's known offshore oil and gas resources and had a head start in developing those resources. The offshore oil industry developed locally much of the technology needed to push further into the Gulf of Mexico and other parts of the world insearch of energy resources. This included the many support industries that service offshore oil exploration, development, and production. The region developed support systems in terms of community infrastructure. Many local residents developed or adapted job skills to the...