Mexico

Almost a quarter of Apache Corp.’s gross oil and natural gas production remains off-line in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), five months after hurricanes Ike and Gustav struck the Gulf Coast, the company’s CEO said Thursday.

Anadarko Petroleum Corp. and its partners Monday announced a “substantial” discovery at the deepwater Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Heidelberg prospect, which is located in Green Canyon Block 859.

Despite the effects of hurricanes Gustav and Ike in the Gulf of Mexico, Enterprise Products Partners LP turned in fourth quarter results that saw a 41% increase in net income from the prior-year period. And despite stormy financial markets, the partnership boasted that it has $1.6 billion of liquidity, including proceeds from a January equity offering.

Despite the lingering effects of hurricane damage to its Discovery offshore gathering system in the Gulf of Mexico and an ongoing integrity project at its Douglas pipeline in Wyoming, DCP Midstream Partners LP has no plans to lower its payout, according to CEO Mark Borer.

Despite the lingering effects of hurricane damage to its Discovery offshore gathering system in the Gulf of Mexico and an ongoing integrity project at its Douglas pipeline in Wyoming, DCP Midstream Partners LP has no plans to lower its payout, according to CEO Mark Borer.

In its final assessment of destroyed and damaged facilities in this past summer’s hurricanes Gustav and Ike, the Minerals Management Service (MMS) Gulf of Mexico (GOM) staff estimated that 2,127 production platforms were exposed to winds that were higher than 74 mph.

More than 76 Bcf of natural gas was sold to six companies earlier this month in a royalty in kind (RIK) Gulf of Mexico (GOM) gas sale conducted by the Department of Interior’s Minerals Management Service (MMS). About 241,000 MMBtu/d was sold in the sale under five- or 12-month contracts. Delivery is scheduled to begin Saturday (Nov. 1).

BP America Inc. has discovered oil and gas at its Freedom Prospect, also known as the Gunflint prospect, in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico (GOM). The well, located 70 miles southeast of the Louisiana coast in Mississippi Canyon Block 948, is in about 6,100 feet (1,860 meters) of water. The Freedom well was drilled to a total depth of 29,280 feet (8,927 meters) and encountered more than 550 net feet of hydrocarbon-bearing sands in Middle and Lower Miocene reservoirs. Appraisal will be required to determine the size and commerciality of the discovery. The Freedom well is BP’s third discovery in this part of the deepwater GOM following its Tubular Bells and Kodiak discoveries. The well is operated by BP Exploration & Production Inc., a subsidiary of BP America Inc., which has a 25% working interest, and includes co-owners Noble Energy Inc., with a 37.5% working interest, Samson Offshore Co., with a 25% stake, and Marathon Oil Co., which has a 12.5% stake. The lease was acquired by Noble Energy and Samson Offshore in March 2006.

Despite the havoc wreaked by the twin Gulf of Mexico hurricanes and the upheaval in the credit markets, third-quarter oil and natural gas production oupaced year-ago levels and second-quarter activity, the American Petroleum Institute (API) reported Friday.