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BY THE NUMBERS In the rich and exciting history of offshore energy, the numbers and milestones are many and they describe both happy and less-than-auspicious events. Marked by innova- tion, it is also an industry defi ned by change – change in equipment, production sources and types and myriad oth- er variables. Domestically, only 3 percent of offshore areas are currently leased for offshore production – the vast ma- jority of these offshore properties remain off-limits by the U.S. federal government. All of it is important. If viewed purely By the Numbers, the history of oil & gas might look something like this: The Offshore Industry – Looking Back, Ahead and Under the Surface 1869 1905 1924 1945 1975 1953 1972 1955 1965 1937 1897 1921 1928 1938 1975 1956 1962 1947 1973 1954 1969 First“submarine drilling ap- paratus,” patented, a fi xed, working platform for drilling offshore to ~ 50 feet. Oil discovered in the Caddo Pine Island fi eld in Louisiana. First platform erected on Venezuela’s Lake Maracaibo. First offshore U.S. lease sale. Operation of the UK’s fi rst North Sea oil pipeline. Congress passes the Outer Conti- nental Shelf Lands and the Sub- merged Lands acts, settling the dis- pute between states and the federal government over who controls what part of the coast offshore. U.S. oil production allegedly peaks. Platform installation depth reaches 100 ft. First fi xed platform in North Sea; patent awarded for an “underwater manipulator with suction support device” (an early ROV device). First offshore oil platform in 14’ of water one mile off the Louisiana shore (Creole –Superior/Pure). Wells drilled off piers in Summerland, Calif. Halliburton patents “Method and Means for Cementing Oil Wells,” a design that isolates the various down-hole zones, guards against collapse of casing. Patent to Louis Giliasso for submersible barge drilling unit, launching the era of mobile drilling. First well drilled offshore Texas (Galveston Bay – Standard Oil). Reel pipelay exceeds 1,000 ft water depth. First drill ship launched. First semi-submersible drill vessel, fi rst subsea well completion; fi xed platform depth reaches 200’. Kermac 16 is credited as the fi rst oil rig located “out- of-sight-of-land,” 10 miles off Louisiana in 18’ of water. OPEC oil embargo quadru- ples oil prices. Shortages created an “energy crisis” that fuels interest offshore. First jackup drilling unit deployed. First offshore pipeline laid; First federal Outer Continental Shelf lease sale; and the maiden voy- age of the “Mr. Charlie” submers- ible drilling vessel. Oil platform six miles off Santa Barbara, CA coast suffers blowout, creating an 800-square mile oil slick. 8 MN May 2014 MN May14 Layout 1-17.indd 8 4/21/2014 11:54:19 AM
