Hello everyone. My name is James Wiseman some of you may know me as Jameso.

I'm an engineer working in Houston, and my field of expertise is the developing industry of removing oil and gas platforms. My talk today won't teach you how to magically cure your cyano problems, or tell you how deep your sand bed should be, but it should surely be interesting to people who like reef dynamics.

I'm going to speak about the Rigs-to-Reefs program here in the Gulf of Mexico, but first let me give you a little background. Keep in mind that I am an engineer by trade, but also an avid reefkeeper, so for this talk, I've done my best to cover all the bases here -- not just technical mumbo-jumbo.

Those of you that know what an offshore platform looks like, raise your hand the rest of you should open your browser and point it at:

http://www.reefs.org/library/talklog/j_wiseman_082398/rigs.htm

That'll take a second to load, so I'll start off by describing the parts of an offshore platform, then get into how they are decommissioned and converted to reefs (and why we do this), and finally, take some questions.

If you'll look at the first slide, you'll see a platform deck being removed. This is the "above-water" portion of a platform. It houses the wellheads and process facilities. The process equipment separates the oil, gas, and water that comes out of the wells. The water is re-injected and the oil and gas are sent to shore through a pipeline. Some platforms are manned, so they house people offshore in a quarters building.

The second photo shows the platform structure, or "jacket" being removed. This is the GOOD part! The jacket is made up of tubular steel members designed to keep the platform standing, even in a hurricane. Since the jacket never touches oil or gas, it makes a great reef more on that later. To hold the platform to the seabed steel piles are driven through the jacket.

Offshore platforms can be anywhere from less than 100 feet tall to over 1500 feet! Currently the largest platforms to be removed are in the 350 foot depth range. Well, that's Platforms 101 on to Rigs-to-Reefs!

One year after an oil platform becomes unproductive, current laws require its removal within one year. Since the 1980's, older platforms began reaching the ends of their lives. That's where we come in. We do everything involved in removing a platform, and even go offshore to manage the projects.

Actual offshore work starts w/ plugging the wells w/ cement to make them safe and leak proof. Then the topsides are cleaned and flushed, in preparation for the deck being removed. We use a huge barge with a giant crane to remove the platforms in most cases. The barge is like a big floating construction yard. Welders cut the deck free, and the crane lifts it off and puts it on a cargo barge to be taken back to shore. Next, the jacket is severed from the seabed by cutting the piles. If the platform is going to be reused or scrapped, the jacket is put on a cargo barge and taken to shore too. If not, the jacket will be made into a reef the fun part.

Both Texas and Louisiana have artificial reef programs. In LA, there are six designated reef sites, while in Texas, it is permissible to reef a structure anywhere that is not an, "exclusion zone." These zones are fairways, anchorages, natural hard bottom habitats, etc.

If a jacket meets certain design criteria (size, location, etc.) set by the state parks division, it can be used as a reef and the state will take ownership and liability for the structure. In return, the company that decommissions the platform must donate money for upkeep of the reefs and such. Since most of the time, money is saved by "reefing" a platform, the norm is to donate half this savings to the reef program.

If the jacket is not in a good location for a reef, sometimes it is lifted by the crane barge and carried to a new location. One story I've heard is that when the platform was lifted and towed, the resident fishes followed the reef at a comfortable 1.5 knots to the reef site their new home! Once at the chosen reef site, the jacket is set down, and toppled over onto its side. This creates an excellent high relief reef. In some cases, a platform jacket can be toppled on-site, with minimum impact to the resident biota.

So why do we go to so much trouble to create reefs in the Gulf of Mexico? Well, the answer is because most of the Gulf is soft silty flats, w/o much hard substrate. It is believed that the platforms in the Gulf provide 80% of the hard substrate. Originally, all platforms were totally removed, but sport divers and fishermen recognized the potential of the platforms as habitat, and requested that the state set up a formal rigs-to-reefs programs. Since then, over 100 jackets have been converted to artificial reefs.

Because the platforms protrude into the photic zone, they are excellent at recruiting planktonic life forms. Because the plankton is a soup of just about everything, the platforms recruit a tremendously diverse flora and fauna, providing habitat where there previously was none. I've included a few slides to illustrate the distribution of lifeforms on a couple of deepwater platforms off Texas. (Labeled Figures 6 and 7) The organisms near the photic zone, at the top of the jacket resemble a nearshore or inter-tidal community. Lower down the platform sponges and non-photosynthetic soft corals predominate. Some platforms have been in place since the 1950's. These structures are incredible havens, with marine growth on the legs exceeding 12 inches in thickness. Some platforms also exist in areas that have since been designated as marine preserves. Garden Banks is one of these locations – it is also an extremely popular destination for recreational divers.

Whew, that's probably enough for a good overview. If you have any questions about the talk, or about artificial reefs of any kind, I would be happy to answer them now. Thanks for having me. James Wiseman.

Are the 100 or so jackets that have been converted documented as to their location?

During the last few years, I have had a chance to study the Texas and Louisiana, as well as the California programs Yes, the location of every reef is carefully charted, so that it can be used by sport divers, fishermen, and biologists...JW

What do they do with teh living life on the rig when they prepare it to travel?

The crane barge lifts the jacket out of the water a little ways, just to make sure it doesn't drag during transport the jacket isn't really taken out of the water so the organisms just "ride" along.

Does the superstructure eventually decompose?and if so what happens then?

The fate of the jackets is still under debate. If the steel is covered w/ lifeforms, it is sealed off from oxygen. This impedes corrosion. The jackets are also protected by anodes. These corrode before the reef does, prolonging it's life. Eventually the steel could collapse into a pile, but it could last indefinitely...

What do you think the depth limit will be for converting rigs to reefs? Is is the diver the limiting factor?

The reefs should be accessible to all users, however, the marine biota are the most important user group :-) The debate rages over what is "too deep" to create a reef. As long as the jacket is colonized w/ some kind of organisms that would otherwise be substrate limited, I believe any depth could be good.

Let me clarify the last one... what depth limit of rig will we be able to trun it into a reef, being the current depth is around 350ft?

OIC... Hmm... The only reason that the deepest rigs (350') have been decommissioned is that they have reached "that age." Current technology exists to cut off the top portion of a deepwater platform, leaving the lower part of the jacket in place. the top portion could be moved to another reef site where the uppermost organisms will be happy, and the base can be left in deeper water. There really is no depth limit. In fact, a deepwater platform provides literally ACRES of habitat.

Are additional substrate materials or other constructive materials ever added to the rigs following a reef positioning?

That is an excellent question, and one that I have looked at for California. In California, the reef material favorite is quarry rock from Catalina island. The steel jackets could be augmented, with the addition of quarry rock, or crushed concrete, to increase the amount of low relief, high complexity habitat. The high complexity habitat provides a sanctuary for juvenile fishes and such.

Is this (rigs - reefs) just a US program?

To my knowledge, this is just a Gulf of Mexico program right now. If the debate over whether platforms are "habitat" is ever resolved, we could have a program there too. The north sea, and southeast asia are also homes to a large number of platforms, but there are no formal programs there yet.

Is there a probelm with, say, organisms from pipes at 350 feet being raised into more highly photic zones? I mean, obviously, there is, but what kind of survival rate are you guys seeing before recolonization in the shallower environment?

That's also a good question. Obviously, you don't want to move an organism from its preferred nich. When platforms are toppled, if the organisms are sessile, they may perish when the fall to the bottom. That is why it may be better not to topple a platform, but leave most of it standing. That would cause minimal impact. This has been done a few times, but there are issues as to shipping safety and such. I'm sure there have been studies performed by the reef agencies as to the sucess of the reefs, and mortality rates. I'll have to dig them up.

Steel corrodes into iron oxide - What observations have been made about the increased iron oxide content at these sites, if any?And what are the consequences of the buildup?

This is a question that I have been asked many times, whenever the effects of reef longevity are analyzed. From experiences w/ our reef tanks we all know that iron can be a limiting element for growth of macroalgae, and such. When the platforms corrode, they certainly add iron to the surrounding water, in very small amounts, wrt the amount of water present. This could have a beneficial effect. The iron could also be used by the organisms attached to the platform, through active transport, similar to plants in soil.

Would you please elaborate if you can on the fate of the animals (corals,sponges, etc) on the rig as it is prepared to be moved to it's reef site?

Currently, the fate of the inverts is not values as highly as the fate of marine mammals and humans. The safest means are used to remove a platform and no marine mammals have been killed to date. The fate of the corals and sponges...they could be scraped off, or "mooshed" Offshore construction is not very gentle. Work could be undertaken to preserve some of these organisms. Consider that a large percentage of platforms are removed to shore, and their flora and fauna simply perish. These organisms could be removed with water jets and manually, but this would be very costly.

Do you find as large as a diversity on the converted reefs as you do on a natural reef?

Bingo! Surveys of natural reefs and artificial reefs have been conducted since the 1960's when a large number of platforms were installed. I don't think engineers were expecting the amount of growth that appeared on the structures, and the diversity. Dick Zingula, the ex-President of the Seaspace program here in Houston has indicated that platform based reefs are equally or more diverse than natural reefs. I would speculate that this is because the Rig based reefs cover so many reef zones.

What kind of benefit do we get for fishes by Gulf of Mexico reefs?

The artificial reefs provide forage, resting, breeding, and sheltering habitats. Fish need this to survive. The platforms are home to a very large density of fishes. This is a known fact. The flat muddy bottom of the gulf is only suitable for certain species. The reefs are called "Islands of life" because they provide so many kinds of habitat for fishes and inverts. They increase the biomass of fishes in the gulf, to answer your question.

Do you think collection is possible from the rigs since they are not a natural reef similar to cultured live rock done in florida?

Certainly! If a platform is going to be removed to shore, it makes sense to salvage as much of the biomass as possible. There is a severe constraint on this activity however, in that the construction equipment needed for the operation can cost up to $100,000 per day! Collection from rigs is certainly allowed under current regulations...it's just that no one can do it. Perhaps a platform could be made accessible to "reefers" before it is to be removed. Obviously, this poses many problems too...liability ot the platform owner, for one.

Are there any "protected species" on these reefs?

Hmm... Any species that is protected in the Northern Gulf of mexico can probably be found on or near a platform Extreme measures are taken to ensure that no Green sea turtles (or any sea turtles) are injured when a platform is removed. I can't think of any protected inverts at this time though. Any suggestions?

Last Question: Do you forsee the program expanding to other parts of world (Indonesia, NOrth Sea etc)?

I think the program should be expanded to both of those places. The reason it came about in the Gulf first is that it was ASKED FOR by environmentalists, divers, and fishermen who saw their habitat being removed. Environmentalists in the North Sea are opposed to rigs-to-reefs on a purely suspicious basis. The current environmental trend there seems to be, "we don't know the effects of a rigs to reefs program so we don't want one" the thing is WE KNOW the effects, as demonstrated here. It is a sticking point, and one that I don't understand at all... as an environmentalist and a reefer, I am all for rigs-to-reefs.

Thanks James!