Leaning to their side, the sea ropes act as artificial reefs

Biology, the rocks built from rig and other marine oil and gas infrastructure that serve their time, i.e. communication between living and non-living, are not only attractive to corals and fish, but also provide an effective solution for oil companies. Simply redesigning a used site is cheaper than a complete redundancy. It can save half of the cost, with a portion going to the states and then being responsible for maintaining the artificial reef bases.

Lena Oil Rick is located in the Gulf of Mexico, formerly owned by ExxonMobil. After the company completed oil extraction at the site, it separated the structure from the seabed last July, removing parts of it and tilting it to its side. Thus, the vast metal plant is now being turned into an artificial coral reef to provide shelter for marine life.

Artificial coral project

An ocean Rick system Not just metal and concrete. When the 25-50 year lease period granted for the given site expires, a genuine ecosystem will be built on the well’s scaffolding.

There are thousands of tons of monsters with thousands of corals, shells and fish species.

U.S. Under the law, once a marine oil field is depleted, operators are responsible for safely disposing of the rig, cleaning the seabed and restoring it to its original state. Rules RequiredThe obsolete structure must be removed within one year of the lease expiration because Rick’s solitary exit could pose a risk in the event of a hurricane, disrupt future oil exploration, or even hinder the growth of local wind power plants.

Total in the Gulf of Mexico until September 2020 558 Retired oil wells have been converted to artificial rocks since 1979, when the first successful replacement attempt was made. In 1984, the United States Congress Signed The National Fisheries Act provided widespread support for the development of artificial reefs in coastal states. The law recognized the social and economic values ​​of the development of artificial reefs and laid down the rules for development.

Artificial reef designs in the Gulf of Mexico Extensive state, industry and government support Enjoy and become role models for similar projects around the world. Such biological reefs have also been developed from several oil fields in Brunei and Malaysia or Thailand. Louisiana’s plan for this purpose is the largest in the world, where 363 oil and gas bases have been converted since 1986. The Texas Project began in 1990 and has been around ever since 154 Configuration changed.States make good profits by recycling rig. Louisiana has earned a total of about $ 100 million ($ 30 billion) on the project since 1986, and received nearly $ 562,000 (approximately $ 170 million) for infrastructure purchased between 2012 and 2018 alone.

The process of change

A maritime operation for change and licensing will take many years of work and cooperation. Each state has a designated Reef Coordinator who prepares the processes and, if possible, transfers the facility to the U.S. Obtains the necessary approval from the Military Engineering Board. The state and the operator then agree Conditions for donation. In most cases, the oil company provides half of its cost benefits, which contributes to the state’s artificial reef program.

Structurally defective towers are not suitable for conversion, but if a green signal is given for the job, there are basically three ways to turn rigs into rocks:

• It can be pulled and placed on another reef area, or
• With partial extraction, some parts can be removed and left in place
• In the third case, it can be hidden on the side just like the ExxonMobil tower.

Lena was thrown because the largest facility weighed about 27,000 tons and was 50 feet taller than the Empire State Building.

United States Efficient Environment Commission According to Although moving Ricky will damage part of the coral, it will not destroy the entire ecosystem.

What are the benefits of change?

• From an environmental point of view, recycling old obsolete structures reduces fuel emissions, otherwise the tower would have to be moved and removed.
• Artificial reefs attract wildlife and provide habitat, shelter and food for marine life.
• They increase the productivity of the ocean, thus benefiting the local economy by increasing fishing revenues, attracting sports engineers, and diving tourists.

Although the solution is more environmentally friendly than removing the ropes completely, experts and environmentalists agree that reducing oil use and a complete shift to renewable energy would be the best solution to protect the marine environment and the planet.