|
Monday, August 14
2000
MMS releases FPSO draft
FPSO's--floating storage production and offloading systems--look
to have successfully passed the first barrier to their use in
the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. A draft environmental impact statement
(EIS) released lat week by the U .S. Minerals Management Service
(MMS) finds that potential site-specific impacts are essentially
the same as with other deepwater development and production systems.
Most of the risk of oil spills is associated with the shuttle
tankers that would service the FPSO, not the FPSO itself, and
that risk is comparable to the risks from other deepwater systems
and from pipelines. Excluding FPSO's would not reduce cumulative
environmental impacts because other systems would be used in
its place. The analysis did find that emissions associated with
shuttle tankers could exceed air quality exceedances in the Breton
Class 1 Area. The draft EIS is limited to the Central and Western
Gulf of Mexico planning areas.
The draft EIS considered a generic FPSO
system and operation, as well as a range of technical variations.
The "base case" evaluated is a permanently moored,
double-hulled, ship-shaped FPSO that can store up to 1 million
barrels of crude oil. The seafloor well equipment and onboard
production equipment are the same kind used with other deepwater
production facilities. The crude is offloaded to shuttle tankers
for transport to Louisiana and Texas ports or to the Louisiana
Offshore Oil Port (LOOP). Associated or produced gas is piped
ashore.
Several alternatives, including a No Action
alternative, were also studied in this programmatic EIS that
examines fundamental issues associated with industry's proposed
use of FPSO's in the Western and Central Gulf of Mexico OCS planning
areas. The approach is generic and not site specific. It does
not study or approve any specific site; specific-site proposals
would have to undergo review by MMS and the Coast Guard, as well
as the affected States for consistency with their Coastal Zone
management plans, and would require permits from the Environmental
Protection Agency.
This newly released draft EIS, prepared
in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, is
released for review by appropriate State officials, the general
public, industry, and various organizations. Minerals Management
Service is opening an official comment period from now until
October 10, 2000, for receiving comments from the general public
and all interested parties. The MMS will consider all comments
in drafting the final environmental impact statement and in making
a decision on permitting the use of FPSO's in the Gulf of Mexico.
Copies of this draft environmental impact
statement are available at no charge from the Minerals Management
Service, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, Public Information Office,
1201 Elmwood Park Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70123, telephone 504-736-2519.
Copies can also be inspected at principal libraries along the
Gulf Coast and in a number of inland cities.
Hearings will be held at the following
locations:
ALABAMA, MOBILE on Monday, September 18, 2000; 6-8 p.m.
Adams Mark Hotel
64 South Water Street
Mobile, Alabama
LOUISIANA, NEW ORLEANS on Tuesday, September
19, 2000; 6-8 p.m.
Radisson Inn New Orleans Airport
2150 Veterans Boulevard
Kenner, Louisiana
LAKE CHARLES on Thursday, September 21,
2000; 6-8 p.m.
Best Western Richmond Suites
2600 Moeling Street
Lake Charles, Louisiana
TEXAS HOUSTON on Wednesday, September 20,
2000; 6-8 p.m.
Radisson Hotel and Conference Center, Hobby Airport Houston
9100 Gulf Freeway
Houston, Texas
Aker Maritime wins FPSO contract
The first contract for an FPSO in the U.K. sector of the North
Sea for almost three years has been awarded.
Talisman Energy (UK) Limited has given
Aker Maritime's UK yard Aker McNulty an extensive contract for
the development of the Blake field and the tie-in of this to
Bluewater Bleo Holm floating production, storage and offloading
(FPSO) vessel. T
The contract is worth around $22.5 million
to $30 million and includes engineering, hook-up, installation
and commissioning. Aker McNulty will fabricate and install a
new water injection module, a produced water/cooling medium module,
a new compression package, as well as upgrade the existing process
separators and perform other modifications to the Bleo Holm.
The Newcastle yard will be assisted by its sister company Aker
Oil & Gas Technology in Aberdeen to carry out the detailed
engineering design.
The Bleo Holm production, offloading and
storage ship will be temporarily demobilized from the Ross Offshore
Oilfield during 2001 and brought to Aker McNulty's South Shields
facility for the modifications. The total installation of new
equipment and materials is approximately 1,200 metric tonnes
and the water injection capacity will be doubled.
It is anticipated that the Bleo Holm will
re-commence production on Ross and commence production on Blake
within 120 days after demobilization.
Cable layers for Maersk
Four new cable laying vessels for Maersk Supply Service were
named today at Volkswerft Stralsund GmbH in Stralsund, Germany
.
The 105 m long, 20 m beam vessels each
have a 6,000 tonne cable carrying capacity.
MÆRSK RECORDER will be delivered
to A.P. Møller in September 2000, MÆRSK REPEATER
in October 2000, MÆRSK RESPONDER in November 2000 and MÆRSK
RELIANCE in January 2001.
On delivery all four vessels will enter
long-term contracts with Global Marine Systems Limited for world-wide
installation and maintenance of subsea fiberoptic cables.
MARAD names Associate Administrator for
Shipbuilding
Acting U.S. Maritime Administrator John E. Graykowski has announced
the appointment of Jean McKeever as Associate Administrator for
Shipbuilding. The post was created late last
year to combine the Maritime Administration's main shipbuilding-related
functions under a single manager.
As Associate Administrator for Shipbuilding,
McKeever will be responsible for overseeing MARAD's naval architecture,
marine engineering, production costs, productivity improvement,
financing guarantees and tax deferral ship financing funds services.
"Jean McKeever is the right person
for an important job," Graykowski said. "Her experience,
expertise and business acumen will help us build on the progress
made in recent years, while we continue to streamline and improve
our service to America's vital shipbuilding and related maritime
industries."
McKeever has served 25 years in various
financial and analytical positions, most recently as the deputy
director of the agency's Office of Ship Financing. She began
her career in MARAD's Office of Subsidy Contracts and later served
as branch chief of two financial divisions--Subsidy and Capital
Assets Management.
She holds a bachelor's degree from Mount
Holyoke College in South Hadley, Mass., and an M.B.A. from Frostburg
State University in Frostburg, Md.
News
Index
Marine
Log Home page
|
