WorldWide Drilling Resource

28 MARCH 2015 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® Rigs Get Second Lives as Reefs Adapted from Information Provided by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department The Gulf of Mexico is home to thou- sands of species of plants and animals which need surfaces to cling to, to com- plete their life cycles. Since the Gulf of Mexico doesn’t have many naturally occurring reefs, man-made structures maintained by the Texas Artificial Reef Program give invertebrates such as bar- nacles, corals, sponges, and clams hard surfaces they need to thrive. Since 1990, the Texas Artificial Reef Program has been partnering with con- servation organizations, corporations, communities, and sportsmen to create and maintain over 4000 acres of artifi- cial reef structures in Gulf waters. Decommissioned oil rigs are the heart of this program. Oil rigs make ideal reefs because they are environmentally safe; con- structed of highly durable and stable material; and they already support thriv- ing reef ecosystems since many of them have been in the water at least 30 years. Before reefing takes place, petrole- um platforms are inspected for environ- mental hazards. Decks and equipment associated with them, such as drilling equipment, tanks, and pumps are re- moved. Insides of legs are inspected for any traces of petroleum, and all wells are plugged below the structure accord- ing to standards set by the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. The transformation from rig to reef begins quickly. Marine species find the structure immediately. Within a month, invertebrates are settled into their new home. After six months to a year, the site becomes a well-established artificial reef. A school of fish inhabits a reefed oil platform. In the past, decommissioned rigs had to be moved onshore and disman- tled, an expensive process that displaced the complex marine communities attract- ed during the rigs’ service. When oil and gas activity in the Gulf declined in the 1980s, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department developed a plan for artificial reef development to protect valuable habitats created by rigs. Since the Artificial Reef Program began, over 140 offshore rigs have been donated by oil and gas companies. The program receives 50% of an oil compa- ny’s savings from converting a rig to a permanent reef rather than taking the structure to shore for salvaging. These funds help finance research and also make the Texas Artificial Reef Program self-sufficient without the need for tax- payer dollars. Some reefed rigs are only a few miles from shore, while others are about 100 miles from shore. Energy from artifi- cial reef habitats flows up the food chain providing biological growth which creates additional habitats and provides suste- nance for snapper, grouper, mackerel, and other fish. These hotbeds of wildlife are also popular among fishermen and divers. )0&"%1 "6)&4 ,, ,, 2)&0 -%3120*"+ )0&"%1 "-% 312., )0&"%1 "-3'"$230&0 .' -&02*" !&+%&% 0*++ */& 3"+ !"++ 0*++ */& !*0&+*-& 0*++ .% "1*-( .,/.1*2& !*0&+*-& 0*++ .%1 .-*$ 0*++ */& "1*-( *21 &0$311*.- "1*-( *21 0*++ .++"01 *1)*-( ..+1 3#1 2"02&0 .%1 "-% 2"#*+*7&01 0*++ */& -$ )*0% 2 8 !*-12&% ).-& 8 8 "5 2., %0*++/*/&*-$ $.,