100 Years of Oil and Gas Development: From the Marshes to Deepwater, Louisiana Has Played a Major Role in Water-Oriented Exploration and Development

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald W. Davis
Keyword(s):  
Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
100Th Anniversary ◽  
The State ◽  
Hydrocarbon Exploration ◽  
Oil And Gas Development ◽  
Energy Demands ◽  
Entrepreneurial Spirit ◽  
Water Depths ◽  
Exploration And Development

September, 2001 marked the 100th anniversary of the oil and gas business in Louisiana. Consequently, hydrocarbon exploration and development has been a vital part of Louisiana’s economy for over a century. In the latter part of the 1980s, the industry was considered dead or dying. Exploration and development had declined throughout the state. In the 1990s Louisiana’s industry was reborn in the deepwater of the northern Gulf of Mexico—a region that holds enormous potential in water depths that create unique exploration, development and production challenges. As technology changed, or was developed to meet the industry’s needs, new frontiers were explored. There was a pioneering entrepreneurial spirit that pushed the limits. Today, the frontier continues to expand and Louisiana is the beneficiary of this activity. One hundred years after the first discovery well in Louisiana, more than 250,000 oil and/or gas wells have been drilled in the state. In addition, over 4,000 structures are anchored parallel to its coast in water depths approaching two miles (3.2 km). From the uplands, to the swamps and marshes and into the deepwater of the Gulf of Mexico, Louisiana has been a leader in helping meet the Nation’s energy demands.

RISING COSTS IN AUSTRALIAN HYDROCARBON EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT

1978 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 204
Author(s):  
D. McMinn
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Hydrocarbon Exploration ◽  
Upward Movement ◽  
Oil And Gas Producers ◽  
Project Construction ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Retained Earnings ◽  
Equipment Costs ◽  
Exploration And Development

Rapidly rising costs have created operating and investment problems for companies involved in the Australian hydrocarbon resource industry. Expenditure in this area has declined markedly in constant dollar terms, an adverse trend given Australia's outlook for increasing reliance on imported crude oil in the 1980's.Costs in hydrocarbon exploration appear to have risen in excess of general inflation in the Australian economy. This situation may be attributed to the strong upward movement in wages and equipment costs, and in some cases, the low level of domestic exploration in the mid-1970's.Capital costs for hydrocarbon development and pipeline projects in Australia have also escalated, a trend caused by rising wage levels in project construction and increases in equipment costs. Additional factors such as design alterations, environmental considerations and labour disputes, can also add significantly to costs. Large scale hydrocarbon projects, which have long lead times, are susceptible to inflationary trends.Increasing amounts of funds are required for exploration and development as a result of the rising cost trend. However, difficulty is being experienced in raising funds through capital and equity markets, as well as retained earnings. A key factor in securing adequate funds is profitability, which is largely determined by the State and Federal Governments. For the smaller oil and gas producers, the past profitability record has been inadequate, although the improvement in recent years should continue because of higher oil and gas prices.Costs may be expected to continue to increase in hydrocarbon exploration and development, but probably at a lower rate than experienced in the mid- 1970's. The future viability of the hydrocarbon sector is dependent on a favourable investment environment and higher profitability to offset the considerable risks in exploration and escalation in costs.

scholarly journals A Problem Lurking Just Below the Surface

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 501-525
Author(s):  
Terrell Fenner
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Side Effect ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
The United States ◽  
The State ◽  
Oil And Gas Development ◽  
The Past ◽  
History Of ◽  
Effective Remedy

A long history of oil and gas development in Texas has made the state the number one energy producer in the United States, and the bulk of that energy is produced from fuels acquired by drilling into the vast natural resources that sit below the state. As a side effect of this long history, it is common for the surface and mineral estates in Texas to be severed, and many severances happened several generations ago. This history has spread mineral interests between dozens of owners in some cases, many who are unknown and cannot be found. Absentee ownership has diluted the value of these fractionalized interests and has made use by their non-absentee counterparts more difficult. Existing laws that have been used in the past to clear absentee owners from title have not been effective in the context of a severed mineral estate, as those laws evolved primarily to address surface interests, or to accomplish other purposes with only incidental effect on land titles. This Comment discusses the inadequacy of the current methods used in Texas to remove absentee owners from mineral titles and illustrates the need for a more effective remedy. It then offers a dormant mineral act that suits the unique cultural and economic needs of Texas and addresses the growing fractionalization of Texas’s mineral estates.

Extraction Not Creation: The History of Offshore Petroleum in the Gulf of Mexico

2007 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tyler Priest
Keyword(s):  
Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Petroleum Industry ◽  
Oil And Gas Development ◽  
The Social ◽  
History Of ◽  
Offshore Oil And Gas ◽  
Offshore Development ◽  
Offshore Oil ◽  
Offshore Petroleum

Offshore development is one of the most important but least analyzed chapters in the history of the petroleum industry, and the Gulf of Mexico is the most explored, drilled, and developed offshore petroleum province in the world. This essay examines offshore oil and gas development in the Gulf of Mexico, highlighting the importance of access and how the unique geology and geography of the Gulf shaped both access and technology. Interactions between technology, capital, geology, and the political structure of access in the Gulf of Mexico generated a functionally and regionally complex extractive industry that repeatedly resolved the material and economic contradictions of expanding into deeper water. This was not achieved, however, simply through technological miracles or increased mastery over the environment, as industry experts and popular accounts often imply. The industry moved deeper only by more profoundly adapting to the environment, not by transcending its limits. This essay diverges from celebratory narratives about offshore development and from interpretations that emphasize the social construction of the environment. It challenges the storyline of market-driven technology and its miraculous ability to expand and create petroleum abundance in the Gulf.

Understanding State Variability and Recommendations for Minimizing Schedule Risk in Pipeline Siting and Development

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
John H. Morton ◽  
Steve T. Rowe ◽  
Rosemary C. Hargrave ◽  
Catherine F. Storey ◽  
Stephanie L. White
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
The State ◽  
Oil And Gas Development ◽  
Product Lines ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Natural Gas Pipelines ◽  
Multiple Challenges ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Keystone Xl ◽  
Regulatory Commission

States are facing multiple challenges around new pipeline infrastructure as a result of unconventional oil and gas development. In many instances, federal oversight of interstate pipelines has failed to keep up with state interest in new pipelines. However, some states lack an efficient centralized or streamlined siting and permitting process to accommodate new development. This paper examines the different approaches by various states and what oil and gas companies can do to minimize risk by balancing the competing public and private interests to obtain the necessary permits and approvals without delaying project construction. The paper includes discussion of both Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) regulated natural gas pipelines as well as crude oil and product lines not regulated by FERC. In addition, this paper provides a first-hand perspective on how public opposition can change the regulatory landscape during the course of a project using the Keystone XL Project as an example. After the Keystone XL Project ran into permitting issues, the Nebraska Legislature modified its law, directing the state to evaluate the environmental, economic, social and other impacts of the Nebraska segment of the project. Because the state did not have a specific NEPA process, Nebraska had to first establish a process to conduct the state’s evaluation and produce the functional equivalent of a NEPA document, resulting in project delays. This paper also describes how the evolving use of social media has provided a mechanism for rapid dissemination of information for both project opponents and proponents. There is a heightened national awareness that may now target certain projects based on impacts to select environmental resources such that just meeting the minimum regulatory requirements may not be enough moving forward. In today’s regulatory environment, strategic planning and communications are critical to raise awareness in advance of the potential opposition.

scholarly journals Do Oil and Gas Lease Stipulations in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico Need Expansion to Better Protect Vulnerable Coral Communities? How Low Relief Habitats Support High Coral Biodiversity

2022 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marissa Faye Nuttall ◽  
Emma L. Hickerson ◽  
Raven D. Blakeway ◽  
George P. Schmahl ◽  
Paul W. Sammarco
Keyword(s):  
Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Energy Management ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
The United States ◽  
Hydrocarbon Exploration ◽  
Ocean Energy ◽  
Alpha And Beta Diversity ◽  
Biological Communities ◽  
Coral Communities ◽  
Support Resource

The continental shelf of the northwestern Gulf of Mexico harbors extensive reefs and banks that support diverse coral reefs and mesophotic communities. Mesophotic communities range in depth from 40 to 200 m and, in this region, foster some of the densest coral forests [aggregations of mesophotic octocoral, antipatharian, and branching stony coral communities] reported in published literature (10.23 ± 9.31 col/m2). The geologic features underlying the exposed substrates that harbor mesophotic communities are targeted for extensive hydrocarbon exploration and extraction, as they often contain oil and/or natural gas. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management regulates offshore energy development in the United States and is tasked with protecting sensitive biological communities from impacts related to oil and gas activities. This study analyzed alpha and beta diversity of mesophotic coral forests on fourteen topographic banks in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. The objective of the study was to examine differences in structure and community in relation to lease stipulations established by the Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management. It was determined that dense and diverse mesophotic coral forests and carbonate producers exist in present regulatory zones that prohibit oil and gas activities; however, the coral communities exist in higher densities, diversity, and richness in low relief substrates outside of these regulatory zones. Our findings suggest low relief hard substrates serve as important habitat for mesophotic coral forests; thus, we suggest the expansion of current stipulations should be considered to provide better protection to vulnerable coral communities on low relief features. Furthermore, additional studies to refine the relationship between low relief structures and biodiversity are needed to develop more meaningful habitat definitions to support resource management and improve resource protection in the future.

scholarly journals Semiquantitative Characterizations And Controlling Factors of Microscopic Pore Characteristics of The Metamorphic Rock Reservoir In The Central Paleo-Uplift Belt, Songliao Basin

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhouqiang Zeng ◽  
Xuanlong Shan ◽  
Guoli Hao ◽  
Wentong He ◽  
Changqing Zheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Pore Size ◽  
Metamorphic Rock ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Songliao Basin ◽  
Hydrocarbon Exploration ◽  
Gas Reservoir ◽  
Pore Characteristics ◽  
Pore Size Distributions ◽  
Exploration And Development

Abstract Currently, metamorphic rock is a common target for oil and gas exploration, and reservoirs are the key factors restricting hydrocarbon exploration and development in metamorphic rocks. The deep metamorphic rock gas reservoir in the central paleo-uplift of the northern Songliao Basin has good exploration and development potential. In this study, we use a combination of qualitative descriptions and quantitative analysis to comprehensively analyze the pore characteristics of the reservoir and explore the factors controlling the pore characteristics of the metamorphic rock reservoir in the central paleo-uplift belt of the Songliao Basin. The metamorphic rock reservoir in the central paleo-uplift belt contains three types of lithologies: chlorite schist, mylonite, and mica schist, each with different protoliths and metamorphic histories. The reservoir space can be divided into 4 pore types, and the reservoir space of each lithology is quite different. The results of high-pressure mercury intrusion and nitrogen adsorption indicate that the pore size distributions of the schist and mylonite differ. Compared with the schist, the mylonite has less reservoir space, stronger homogeneity, larger pore size, smaller specific surface area, more natural gas reservoir space and stronger natural gas adsorption capacity. This paper also studies the formation process of the reservoir and divides it into four stages. Finally, this article discusses in detail the factors controlling the microscopic pore characteristics of metamorphic rock reservoirs in the central paleo-uplift belt; the metamorphic rock protolith is the most important controlling factor.

scholarly journals Environmental aspects of the competitiveness strategy of mining enterprises in the context of sustainable development

2021 ◽  
Vol 330 ◽  
pp. 04010
Author(s):  
Olha Popelo ◽  
Viktoriia Marhasova ◽  
Olga Garafonova ◽  
Svetlana Grigashkina
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
The State ◽  
Oil Fields ◽  
Environmental Aspects ◽  
Oil And Gas Fields ◽  
Gas Fields ◽  
State Of The Environment ◽  
Exploration And Development

The article reveals the environmental aspects of the competitiveness strategies of mining enterprises in the context of ensuring sustainable development of the economy. The reasons as a result of which the state of the environment in the process of development of oil and gas fields worsens are investigated. The stages of search for exploration and development of oil and gas fields are considered. The negative impact on the environment component of sustainable development of prospecting and exploitation works on oil fields has been determined.

Impacts of Major Offshore Oil Spill Incidents on Petroleum Industry and Regional Economy

2017 ◽  
Vol 139 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Negar Dahi Taleghani ◽  
Mayank Tyagi
Keyword(s):  
Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Economic Impact ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Petroleum Industry ◽  
Deepwater Horizon ◽  
The State ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Offshore Oil ◽  
The Impact

Disasters such as offshore oil spills will have a significant negative impact on occupations, incomes, tariffs, and further profits, adding to the struggles of regional area held up in difficulty. Such a broad size of impact can more impair the functioning of the economy of the district. In addition to costs encountered by cleanup activities, industries and individuals dependent on coastal resources can experience huge economic losses. Many other related businesses and sectors can possibly hurt by disruptions and loss of earnings. To better understand different aspects of the problem, we explain the problem through a case study for recent incident in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM), the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DWH) on April 20, 2010, the worst oil spill disaster in the history of the U.S. start off the coastline of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico. We have conducted study to focus on the positive impact of economic compensation on Gulf coast employment and wages. Regardless of estimates of main job losses resulting from the oil spill, we estimated that Louisiana experienced a net rise in employment and wages. Input–output (I-O) model will be applied in this study to approximate the economic compensation created by economic injection due to the Deepwater Horizon accident. Then, we can estimate the gross damages to the Louisiana economy. More importantly, the final results should provide useful information on measuring the economic impact of any future large-scale disasters and for how companies must react to minimize the economic impact of events. One positive side that will come out of the oil spill is the spotlight on the need for new and developed prevention and response strategies to this kind of major disasters. The analysis of losses in the employment and earnings in Louisiana in the aftermath of accidents in petroleum industry makes to know the importance and significance of the oil and gas sector as a powerful economic machine that provides a wide range of opportunity for the state. It is no surprise how remarkable is the influence of oil and gas industry on the income of the state workers and the output of the state. Therefore, having approximation of the impact helps to facilitate strong recovery and to prevent potential harm to the related industry.

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