Outer

Houston-based Apache Corp. is finding sweet success along the Outer Continental Shelf of the Gulf of Mexico, reporting that it has made five discoveries and 13 successful development wells — moving it up as the fourth ranked OCS producer for the first half of 2001. With the new wells, Apache’s current net production along the OCS is 345 MMcf and 34,000 b/d.

In a meeting late last week, the Interior Department’s Outer Continental Shelf Policy Committee took on an environmental flavor by urging that in order to open up offshore moratoria areas for limited drilling, “congressional funding” for the appropriate environmental studies and monitoring will be necessary.

In a meeting late last week, the Interior Department’s Outer Continental Shelf Policy Committee took on an environmental flavor by urging that in order to open up offshore moratoria areas for limited drilling, “congressional funding” for the appropriate environmental studies and monitoring will be necessary.

The Minerals Management Service’s Gulf of Mexico OuterContinental Shelf Region sale today has generated more interestthan a similar one held last year. MMS has received 780 bids on 547tracts offered in the Central GOM Lease Sale 178, Part 1. Lastyear’s Central Gulf Sale 175 generated 469 bids on 344 tracts andattracted $300,567,675 in high bids.

The Minerals Management Service (MMS) is starting to prepare fora new five-year Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas leasing programto run from 2002-2007. The agency has asked for input frominterested and affected parties.

FERC last week rejected Williams Energy Marketing &Trading’s request to generically exempt Outer Continental Shelf(OCS) pipelines from FERC’s ban on “buy-sell” transactions. But itdid allow a “limited waiver” of its policy for the MineralsManagement Service (MMS) to carry out its royalty-in-kind programin the offshore.

The Minerals Management Service (MMS) released results of astudy evaluating the role of the federal Outer Continental Shelf(OCS) in supplying future U.S. gas demand. Results were presentedat an industry symposium held in Houston yesterday.

Producers and marketers denounced a recent request togenerically exclude Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) pipelines fromFERC’s ban on “buy-sell” transactions. They contend Williams EnergyMarketing & Trading’s bid for such a waiver is just abackhanded attempt to gain light-handed regulation on the OCS.

Producers and marketers denounced a recent request togenerically exclude Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) pipelines fromFERC’s ban on “buy-sell” transactions. They contend Williams EnergyMarketing & Trading’s bid for such a waiver is just anotherback-handed attempt to attain light-handed regulation in the OCS.