Geology News
Gulf of Mexico Current Events

Hurricane Sandy (NOAA image)

“We anticipate an above-average probability for major hurricanes making landfall along the United States coastline and in the Caribbean. Coastal residents are reminded that it only takes one hurricane making landfall to make it an active season for them, and they need to prepare the same for every season, regardless of how much or how little activity is predicted.” Quoted from the Colorado State University press release.

The Energy Information Administration reports on the falling natural gas production rates from the Gulf of Mexico and the plummeting share of United States natural gas being produced in the Gulf.

Salt glaciers (also known as namakiers) are masses of salt that erupt onto Earth’s surface and flow downslope under their own weight.

They develop where salt domes rise high enough to reach the surface.

Salt Domes are mounds or columns of salt that have risen above their parent rock unit because of the salt’s low specific gravity.

They serve as oil and natural gas reservoirs; sources of sulfur; sources of salt; underground storage sites for oil, natural gas and helium; and, disposal sites for hazardous waste.

Nearly 200 manatees have been killed by a red tide off the coast of southwest Florida.

Even though most of the media attention in the United States is going to unconventional oil and gas plays, deep-water investments in the Gulf of Mexico are still being made.

Related: The World’s Tallest Structure

Elkhorn coral and 65 other species of reef-building corals were recently proposed for “endangered species” designation. Researchers are working to understand why these corals are disappearing from the Florida Keys and other locations.

During 2012 Royal Dutch Shell produced about 191,000 barrels of oil per day in the Gulf of Mexico, making it the largest producer of crude in the Gulf. Previously BP was the largest producer. Get Gulf production data here.

Although only a few hundred feet of the Magnolia Platform is visible above water level its total height from the bed of the seafloor to the top of the platform is 4,698 feet (1,432 meters). Some people consider it the world’s tallest structure.

Are major acquisitions of North American oil and gas assets by a Chinese state-owned company a threat to the energy security of the United States and Canada? Some members of Congress and the energy industry do not like the potential transaction.

“The Upper Cretaceous Austin Chalk forms a low-permeability, onshore Gulf of Mexico reservoir that produces oil and gas from major fractures oriented parallel to the underlying Lower Cretaceous shelf edge. Horizontal drilling links these fracture systems to create an interconnected network that drains the reservoir.” Quoted from USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2012–5159.

A Bloomberg article reports that deepwater drilling permits are back at levels that were last seen before the economic downturn and before the Macondo well oil spill.

At Chevron’s Tahiti project in the Gulf of Mexico, 4 million gallons seawater per day are injected into a subsurface reservoir to maintain the reservoir pressure needed to recover oil and natural gas.

“Millions of pounds of unexploded bombs and other military ordnance that were dumped decades ago in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as off the coasts of both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, could now pose serious threats to shipping lanes and the 4,000 oil and gas rigs in the Gulf, warns two Texas A&M University oceanographers.” Quoted from the Texas A&M press release.

A United States appeals court has determined that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is not liable for flooding damage that occurred when Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005.

This CNN video gives a quick aerial tour of some of the more important flood protection structures that protect New Orleans from the impact of hurricanes.

Tropical Storm Isaac has strengthened to nearly hurricane strength. NOAA has issued the following warning…

A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR… * EAST OF MORGAN CITY LOUISIANA TO THE ALABAMA-FLORIDA BORDER… INCLUDING METROPOLITAN NEW ORLEANS…LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN… AND LAKE MAUREPAS (more/updated)…

Tropical Storm Isaac is about 100 miles south of the Florida Keys and is expected to strengthen to hurricane strength.

From NOAA:

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT…

A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR…
* THE FLORIDA KEYS INCLUDING THE DRY TORTUGAS
* THE WEST COAST OF FLORIDA FROM BONITA BEACH TO OCEAN REEF
* FLORIDA BAY

Tropical storm Ernesto has passed across Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula. It is expected to pass over the extreme southern portion of the Bay of Campeche producing heavy rains and tropical storm winds.

“Every summer for the past several decades, a large dead zone has threatened the economic and ecological health of the Gulf of Mexico, the nation’s largest and most productive fishery.” Quoted from the USGS press release.

The Alabama State Oil and Gas Board reports that revenue from offshore natural gas royalties have been falling rapidly.

PBS Newshour has an article with video titled: “Why is Louisiana Sinking?” that includes an interview with Torbjörn Törnqvist, a coastal geoscientist at Tulane University.

A natural oil seep is thought to be responsible for a 10-mile wide oil slick on the surface of the Gulf of Mexico. There are many known natural oil seeps that are known to produce surface oil slicks.

“The Mississippi River Delta is one of the largest and most productive coastal ecosystems in North America. From energy, to fisheries, to navigation, the richness of this ecosystem has sustained the U.S. economy for 300 years. [...] This document presents that evidence, based on a thorough examination of the primary questions people have raised about the future of the Mississippi River Delta.” Quoted from the report.

USGS has released a large number of coastal topography data sets for the eastern coast and Gulf of Mexico acquired using lidar technology.