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A Regulatory Agency’s Role in Ocean Exploration?

A Regulatory Agency’s Role in Ocean Exploration?. James J. Kendall, Ph.D. Chief Scientist Minerals Management Service. A Role in Ocean Exploration?. Minerals Management Service :

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A Regulatory Agency’s Role in Ocean Exploration?

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  1. A Regulatory Agency’sRole in Ocean Exploration? James J. Kendall, Ph.D.Chief ScientistMinerals Management Service

  2. A Role in Ocean Exploration? Minerals Management Service: To manage the mineral resources on the OCS in an environmentally sound & safe manner and to timely collect, verify, and distribute mineral revenues from Federal and Indian lands.

  3. National Safety/Environmental Performance Globalization of Offshore Industry Pacific Developed/ Producing Leases Atlantic Sand and Gravel Alaska Gulf of Mexico Liberty Deepwater Northstar Active Leasing Sand and Gravel Beaufort Sea & Cook Inlet leasing

  4. Moving into Frontier Areas(e.g., Deepwater Areas) 4000 Production Structures in Shallow Water – 1057 New Since 1995 Devils Tower Coulomb Habanero Front Runner Gunnison Llano Magnolia K2 Marco Polo Harrier Durango Holstein Red Hawk Mad Dog 86 Production Projects in Deep Water as of December 2003

  5. Major Projects on GOM Chemosynthetic Communities & Gas Hydrates • Chemosynthetic ecosystems study • Stability and change in Gulf of Mexico chemosynthetic communities • Improving the predictive capability of 3D seismic surface amplitude data for identifying chemosynthetic community sites

  6. Research Results • Currents at relevant depths can disperse larvae across the entire upper continental slope. • Upper depth limit for Gulf of Mexico chemosynthetic communities is between 400 and 500 meters. • In contrast to rapid tube growth at hydrothermal vents, cold seep tubeworms grow very slowly. • It is estimated that worms 2 meters in length are from 170-250 years old.

  7. ……, in our own back yard! Chemosynthetic fauna associated with Gulf of Mexico hydrocarbon seeps are similar to those of hydrothermal vents.

  8. The Use of Research Results NTL No. 2000-G20: Chemosynthetic Communities“to provide a consistent and comprehensive approach to protecting high-density chemosynthetic communities ………..”

  9. A Future Energy Source? Gas hydrates are more important to seep community ecology than anticipated.

  10. Significant New Discoveries Kerr-McGee Vortex 8,334 Ft. Anadarko Jubilee West 8,800’ Shell Great White 8,000 Ft. BHP Cascade 8,143’ BHP Chinook 8,830’ Unocal St. Malo 6,853’ MMS

  11. New Efforts, Summer 2004 Characterization of Northern Gulf of Mexico deepwater hard bottom communities with emphasis on Lophelia, a deepwatercoral Archaeological and biological analysis of World War II shipwrecks in the Gulf of Mexico:  a pilot study of the artificial reef effect in deepwater

  12. New Efforts, Summer 2004 Characterization of Northern Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Hard Bottom Communities with Emphasis on Lophelia Coral • Field studies beginning July 2004 • Johnson Sea Link sub mission, 2004 & 2005 • Coordination with USGS sub missions

  13. Ecological/Historical/Engineering

  14. New Efforts, Summer 2004 The Archaeological and Biological Analysis of World War II Shipwrecks in the Gulf of Mexico:  A Pilot Study of the Artificial Reef Effect in Deepwater Field Studies to begin on NOAA vessel with ROV, July 2004 Six sites to depth of 6,500 feet

  15. Archaeological and Biological Analysis of World War II Shipwrecks in the Gulf of Mexico   MMS – Decisionmaking Information • Deepwater reef effect? • National Historic Preservation Act NOAA • Exploration! MMS & NOAA – Leveraging of Resources A Little Lagniappe! • Oil in the Sea • Inter-disciplinary ocean science • U/W archaeology/biology/micro/exploration • Chemistry/engineering • Use of exploration to stimulate education

  16. Standard Operating Procedures • Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Surveys • Applies to activities in depths >400 m. • Operators submit plans as part of their exploration & development activities. • Decision based on available information.

  17. Grid Map for ROV Surveys

  18. Deepest Hydrocarbon Seep Community in Northern Gulf of Mexico Discovered February 2004 by Chevron/Texaco Alaminos Canyon 818 9,020 feet

  19. International Collaborative Efforts

  20. Click Cycle of Foraging Dives

  21. A Regulatory Agency’sRole in Ocean Exploration!

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