The MMS has received 26 exploration plans (EP's) for leases located in the Eastern Gulf Sale 181 area.  Companies that submitted EP's included:

Company	Project	Lease #	Sale #	Blocks
Marathon	Barracuda	G10480	116	DC927
Marathon	Raptor	G23515, 516, 520	181	DC490, 491, 535
Marathon	West Raptor	G23511, 514	181	DC445, 489
Anadarko	Hawkeye	G23474, 475, 478, 479	181	LL315, 316, 359, 360
Anadarko	Atlas	G23450, 451, 457, 458	181	LL5, 6, 49, 50
Shell	Red Dawg	G10467, 468	116	DC622, 666
Shell	Shiloh	G23502	181	DC269
Ocean Energy	Tuscany	G23494, 497	181	DC180, 224
Anadarko	Spiderman	G23528	181	DC620
Anadarko	Spiderman	G23529	181	DC621
Shell	NA	G23480	181	LL399
Kerr-McGee	Kish	G23499, G23503	181	DC226, 270
Anadarko	Jubilee East	G23472, 473	181	LL265, 309
Anadarko	Mondo	G23445, 461, 465	181	LL47, 91, 135
Newfield	Dalmatian	G10439, 440	116	DC47, 48
Petrobras	NA	G23518	181	DC530
Marathon	Stegodon	G23507	181	DC354
Marathon	Mammoth	G23532, 533	181	DC664, 665
Marathon	SE Aardwolf	G23506	181	DC314
Dominion	San Jacinto	G23526	181	DC618
Petrobras	NA	G23456	181	LL48
Petrobras	NA	G23453, 454	181	LL45, 46
Shell	NA	G23512, 517	181	DC485, 529
Murphy	S. Dachsund	G10486, 487	116	LL1, 2
Anadarko*	Daredevil	G23462, 463	181	LL94, 95
Shell*	Fredericksburg	G25855, 856	181	DC486, 487

All but two of these plans (*) have been sent to affected states for coastal zone management consistency review and approval.

Fourteen wells have been drilled in the Sale 181 area since January 2003.

The five most recent are

1. Shell’s Cheyenne prospect, LL 399 No. 1, was spud 5/22/04 but was suspended for Hurricane Ivan.  The rig (Transocean’s Deepwater Nautilus) has resumed drilling.
    
2. Dominion’s San Jacinto II prospect, DC 618 No. 2, was spud 9/19/04, drilled through conductor casing, and suspended on 9/24/04.  The rig (Transocean’s Cajun Express) was moved to DC 445 No. 1 to drill through total depth then moved back to DC 618 No. 2 to finish well to total depth.  The well was TD’d on 11/1/04.  They are currently TA’ing the well.
    
3. Dominion’s West Raptor prospect, DC 445 No. 1 was spud 9/26/04 and PA’d 10/19/04 (Transocean’s Cajun Express).
    
4. Murphy's S. Dachshund prospect, LL 1 and 2 were spud 01/05 and 12/04 respectively.