--> Offshore in the West

AAPG Pacific Section Convention 2019

Datapages, Inc.Print this page

Offshore in the West

Abstract

BOEM manages the responsible exploration and development of offshore energy and marine mineral resources on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). BOEM is currently developing a new National OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program. The Draft Proposed Program, the first of three required phases, analyzed potential leasing in 25 OCS planning areas around the country. The next step is publication of the Proposed Program and Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement. The Proposed Program will describe which planning areas will continue to be considered for potential leasing. On the west coast, oil and gas resources and reserves on 34 active federal leases offshore Southern California are in BOEM’s purview. Twenty-three platforms have produced over 1.35 billion barrels of oil and 1.85 trillion cubic feet of natural gas since production started in 1968. Due to the 2015 onshore rupture of the Plains All American Pipeline, six facilities ceased production and remain shut-in. In 2018, nine leases were relinquished or expired; discussions are ongoing regarding decommissioning the five platforms on these leases. However, interest in enhanced recovery in this mature province continues, as evidenced by pursuit of a geological and geophysical survey permit in the Beta Unit field offshore Long Beach. The survey would provide subsurface imaging of the formations lying 3,000 to 5,000 feet below the seafloor within the field. The enhanced imaging of the subsurface geology will enable more efficient recovery of the remaining natural resources within the field. The survey will be used to map the subsurface geology to locate remaining oil and gas resources, thereby reducing the number of wells required to recover the hydrocarbons. New to the region is the potential development of offshore renewable energy from wind energy. In California, work is in progress to assess wind energy areas offshore both the North coast and the Central coast with the goal of competitively issuing leases for future development projects. Collaboration with the state is a hallmark of the BOEM process, exemplified by a Federal-State intergovernmental task force established in 2016. Extensive public involvement and tribal engagement occurs all along the way, through Federal Register notices, public meetings, webinars, consultation, and other communication mechanisms.