Shelf

Two House Republican amendments seeking to remove the congressional moratorium on exploration and production in portions of the federal Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) were vanquished Thursday.

Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) introduced legislation Thursday that would automatically reserve a “significant portion” of Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) revenues for distribution to the five energy-producing coastal states that aren’t restricted by moratoria off their shores.

The Minerals Management Service (MMS), looking to foster exploration in more remote areas of the Alaska Outer Continental Shelf, is assessing industry interest in exploring for oil and gas in Alaska’s Chukchi Sea/Hope Basin and Norton Basin.

The Minerals Management Service (MMS), looking to foster exploration in more remote areas of the Alaska Outer Continental Shelf, is assessing industry interest in exploring for oil and gas in Alaska’s Chukchi Sea/Hope Basin and Norton Basin.

Updating its estimates for undiscovered technically recoverable resources (UTTR) underlying offshore waters on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), the Minerals Management Service (MMS) said last week that new exploration activities in the Gulf of Mexico and in the Scotian Basin offshore Canada have revealed that there is 12% more recoverable gas than estimated in 2000. The MMS now estimates that there are 76 billion barrels of oil and 406.1 Tcf of recoverable natural gas in federal offshore areas.

Updating its estimates for undiscovered technically recoverable resources (UTTR) underlying offshore waters on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), the Minerals Management Service (MMS) said Tuesday that new exploration activities in the Gulf of Mexico and in the Scotian Basin offshore Canada has revealed that 76 billion barrels of oil and 406.1 Tcf of natural gas are technically recoverable from federal offshore areas.

Irving, TX-based Magnum Hunter Resources Inc. has announced new discoveries on the Gulf of Mexico shelf. At West Cameron 457, a well has tested at production rates of 13 MMcfe/d, and it is in the process of being tied back to the company’s West Cameron 458 discovery via a subsea completion. Up to three additional wells are currently planned from this new facility. First production from the West Cameron discoveries is expected to come on line during the “early” third quarter, the company said. Magnum Hunter owns a 40% working interest in both of these blocks, while Remington Oil and Gas Inc. owns the remaining 60% working interest and operates both blocks. Another discovery at Ship Shoal 322 was drilled at the end of last year and tested at a rate of up to 20 MMcfe/d, according to the company. The well was a subsea completion, and first production is expected by the end of March. Magnum Hunter owns a 25% working interest in this lease. Magnum Hunter also owns a 50% working interest in a new discovery drilled in February at Eugene Island 304. This well, a subsea completion, will be tied back to the company’s existing Eugene Island 302 platform. First production is anticipated in the second quarter.

A part of its plan to help foster exploration in largely unexplored areas of the Alaska Outer Continental Shelf, the Minerals Management Service (MMS) is asking companies about their interest in exploring for oil and gas in the Chukchi Sea, Hope Basin, and Norton Basin.

A part of its plan to help foster exploration in largely unexplored areas of the Alaska Outer Continental Shelf, the Minerals Management Service (MMS) is asking companies about their interest in exploring for oil and gas in the Chukchi Sea, Hope Basin, and Norton Basin.