The Minerals Management Service (MMS) has prepared a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) to examine the potential effects of the use of floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) systems in the deepwater areas (water depths greater than 200 meters or 656 feet) in the Western and Central Planning Areas of the Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).

The FPSO’s are floating production systems that store crude oil in tanks located in the hull of the system and offload the crude to shuttle tankers or ocean-going barges for transport to shore.  FPSO’s may be used as production facilities to develop oil fields in the deepwater areas of the Gulf OCS.  The use of FPSO systems has the potential to enhance industry’s capabilities to develop oil and gas reserves in deepwater areas that otherwise would challenge or exceed the limits of current deepwater production and transportation infrastructure and technologies.

This draft EIS considers a generic FPSO system and operation, as well as a range of technical variations.  The "base case" evaluated is a permanently moored, double-hulled, ship-shaped FPSO with up to 1 million barrels of crude oil storage capability.

The alternatives considered in the draft EIS are (1) no FPSO’s in the "lightering prohibited area" established by the U.S. Coast Guard at 33 CFR 156 Subpart C, (2) no FPSO’s in the Corpus Christi and Port Isabel leasing areas, (3) no FPSO’s in the Viosca Knoll and Mississippi Canyon leasing areas, and (4) requirement for an attendant vessel during offloading operations.  A No Action alternative is also evaluated in the draft EIS.

This draft EIS is programmatic in that it examines the concept of, and fundamental issues associated with, industry's proposed use of FPSO’s in the Western and Central Planning Areas of the OCS.  Therefore, this draft EIS addresses the proposed action generically and does not constitute a review of any site-specific development proposal.  In addition, the draft EIS comprises only the NEPA review process.  On the basis of the analysis in the final EIS, the MMS will decide whether FPSO systems will be an acceptable option for consideration for use on the Gulf OCS; however, the decision will not constitute approval for the use of any particular FPSO at any specific site.  Subsequent site-specific FPSO proposals would be subject to established MMS and Coast Guard review and decision processes, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency water quality permitting, and any applicable review by states for coastal zone consistency.

This NEPA/EIS process will result in one of three basic decisions by the Federal Government:  (1) conceptual approval of FPSO’s, (2) conceptual approval of FPSO’s with certain restrictions or conditions, or (3) a decision for no action (i.e., no conceptual approval by the Government at this time).

You may obtain single copies of the draft EIS from the MMS, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, Attention: Public Information Office (MS 5034), 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, Room 114, New Orleans, Louisiana  70123-2394, or by calling 1-800-200-GULF.  The draft EIS is also available on the MMS Website at http://www.mms.gov.

You may look at copies of the draft EIS in the following libraries:

Abilene Christian University, Margaret and Herman Brown Library, 1600 Campus Court, Abilene, TX
Alma M. Carpenter Public Library, 330 South Ann, Sourlake, TX
Aransas Pass Public Library, 110 North Lamont Street, Aransas Pass, TX
Austin Public Library, 402 West Ninth Street, Austin, TX
Bay City Public Library, 1900 Fifth Street, Bay City, TX
Baylor University, 13125 Third Street, Waco, TX
Brazoria County Library, 410 Brazoport Boulevard, Freeport, TX
Calhoun County Library, 301 South Ann, Port Lavaca, TX
Chambers County Library System, 202 Cummings Street, Anahuac, TX
Comfort Public Library, Seventh & High Streets, Comfort, TX
Corpus Christi Central Library, 805 Comanche Street, Corpus Christi, TX
Dallas Public Library, 1513 Young Street, Dallas, TX
East Texas State University Library, 2600 Neal Street, Commerce, TX
Houston Public Library, 500 McKinney Street, Houston, TX
Jackson County Library, 411 North Wells Street, Edna, TX
Lamar University, Gray Library, Virginia Avenue, Beaumont, TX
LaRatama Library, 505 Mesquite Street, Corpus Christi, TX
Liberty Municipal Library, 1710 Sam Houston Avenue, Liberty, TX
Orange Public Library, 220 North Fifth Street, Orange, TX
Port Arthur Public Library, 3601 Cultural Center Drive, Port Arthur, TX
Port Isabel Public Library, 213 Yturria Street, Port Isabel, TX
R. J. Kleberg Public Library, Fourth and Henrietta, Kingsville, TX
Reber Memorial Library, 193 North Fourth, Raymondville, TX
Refugio County Public Library, 815 South Commerce Street, Refugio, TX
Rice University, Fondren Library, 6100 South Main Street, Houston, TX
Rockwall County Library, 105 South First Street, Rockwall, TX
Rosenberg Library, 2310 Sealy Street, Galveston, TX
Sam Houston Regional Library & Research Center, 1011 Governors Road, Liberty, TX
Stephen F. Austin State University, Steen Library, Wilson Drive, Nacogdoches, TX
Texas A & M University, Corpus Christi Library, 6300 Ocean Drive, Corpus Christi, TX
Texas A & M University, Evans Library, Spence and Lubbock Streets, College Station, TX
Texas Southmost College Library, 1825 May Street, Brownsville, TX
Texas State Library, 1200 Brazos Street, Austin, TX
Texas Tech University Library, 18th and Boston Avenue, Lubbock, TX
University of Houston Library, 4800 Calhoun Boulevard, Houston, TX
University of Texas at Arlington, Library, 701 South Cooper Street, Arlington, TX
University of Texas at Austin, Library, 21st and Speedway Streets, Austin, TX
University of Texas at Brownsville, Oliveria Memorial Library, 80 Fort Brown, Brownsville, TX
University of Texas at Dallas, McDermott Library, 2601 North Floyd Road, Richardson, TX
University of Texas at El Paso, Library, Wiggins Road and University Avenue, El Paso, TX
University of Texas at San Antonio, Library, 6900 North Loop 1604 West, San Antonio, TX
University of Texas Law School, Tarlton Law Library, 727 East 26th Street, Austin, TX
University of Texas, LBJ School of Public Affairs Library, 2313 Red River Street, Austin, TX
Victoria Public Library, 320 North Main, Victoria, TX
Calcasieu Parish Library, 327 Broad Street, Lake Charles, LA
Cameron Parish Library, Marshall Street, Cameron, LA
Grand Isle Branch Library, Highway 1, Grand Isle, LA
Government Documents Library, Loyola University, 6363 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA
Iberville Parish Library, 24605 J. Gerald Berret Boulevard, Plaquemine, LA
Jefferson Parish Regional Branch Library, 4747 West Napoleon Avenue, Metairie, LA
Jefferson Parish West Bank Outreach Branch Library, 2751 Manhattan Boulevard, Harvey, LA
Lafayette Public Library, 301 W. Congress Street, Lafayette, LA
Lafitte Branch Library, Route 1, Box 2, Lafitte, LA
Lafourche Parish Library, 303 West 5th Street, Thibodaux, LA
Louisiana State University Library, 760 Riverside Road, Baton Rouge, LA
Louisiana Tech University, Prescott Memorial Library, Everet Street, Ruston, LA
LUMCON, Library, Star Route 541, Chauvin, LA
McNeese State University, Luther E. Frazar Memorial Library, Ryan Street, Lake Charles, LA
New Orleans Public Library, 219 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA
Nicholls State University, Nicholls State Library, Leighton Drive, Thibodaux, LA
Plaquemines Parish Library, 35571 Highway 11, Buras, LA
St. Bernard Parish Library, 1125 East St. Bernard Highway, Chalmette, LA
St. Charles Parish Library, 105 Lakewood Drive, Luling, LA
St. John The Baptist Parish Library, 1334 West Airline Highway, LaPlace, LA
St. Mary Parish Library, 206 Iberia Street, Franklin, LA
St. Tammany Parish Library, Covington Branch, 310 West 21st Street, Covington, LA
St. Tammany Parish Library, Slidell Branch, 555 Robert Boulevard, Slidell, LA
Terrebonne Parish Library, 424 Roussell Street, Houma, LA
Tulane University, Howard Tilton Memorial Library, 7001 Freret Street, New Orleans, LA
University of New Orleans Library, Lakeshore Drive, New Orleans, LA
University of Southwestern LA, Dupre Library, 302 East St. Mary Boulevard, Lafayette, LA
Vermilion Parish Library, Abbeville Branch, 200 North Street, Abbeville, LA
Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Gunter Library, 703 East Beach Drive, Ocean Springs, MS
Hancock County Library System, 312 Highway 90, Bay St. Louis, MS
Harrison County Library, 14th and 21st Avenues, Gulfport, MS
Jackson George Regional Library System, 3214 Pascagoula Street, Pascagoula, MS
Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Marine Environmental Science Consortium, Library, Bienville Blvd, Dauphin Island, AL
Mobile Public Library, 701 Government Street, Mobile, AL
Thomas B. Norton Public Library, 221 West 19th Avenue, Gulf Shores, AL
University of South Alabama, University Boulevard, Mobile, AL
Montgomery Public Library, 445 South Lawrence Street, Montgomery, AL
Bay County Public Library, 25 West Government Street, Panama City, FL
Charlotte-Glades Regional Library System, 18400 Murdock Circle, Port Charlotte, FL
Collier County Public Library, 650 Central Avenue, Naples, FL
Environmental Library, Sarasota County, 7112 Curtis Avenue, Sarasota, FL
Florida A & M University, Coleman Memorial Library, Martin Luther King Boulevard, Tallahassee, FL
Florida Northwest Regional Library System, 25 West Government Street, Panama City, FL
Florida State University, Strozier Library, Call Street and Copeland Avenue, Tallahassee, FL
Fort Walton Beach Public Library, 105 Miracle Strip Parkway, Fort Walton Beach, FL
Leon County Public Library, 200 West Park Avenue, Tallahassee, FL
Marathon Public Library, 3152 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL
Monroe County Public Library, 700 Fleming Street, Key West, FL
Port Charlotte Public Library, 2280 Aaron Street, Port Charlotte, FL
Selby Public Library, 1001 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota, FL
St. Petersburg Public Library, 3745 9^th Avenue North, St. Petersburg, FL
Tampa-Hillsborough County Library, Documents Division, 900 North Ashley Drive, Tampa, FL
University of Florida Library, University Avenue, Gainesville, FL
University of Florida, Holland Law Library, Southwest 25th Street and 2nd Avenue, Gainesville, FL
West Florida Regional Library, 200 West Gregory Street, Pensacola, FL

Public Hearings on the Draft EIS on the Proposed Use of Floating Production, Storage, and Offloading Systems on the Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf, Western and Central Planning Areas

There will be four public hearings to receive comments on use of floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) systems in the deepwater areas (water depths greater than 200 meters or 656 feet) in the Western and Central Planning Areas of the Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).  The hearings will provide us with information that will help in the evaluation of the potential effects of the use of FPSO systems in the Gulf of Mexico OCS.

Hearings will be held at the following locations:

If you wish to testify at a hearing, you may register beginning 30 minutes prior to the meeting.  Speakers will be limited to 5 minutes.  Each hearing will be open to present testimony from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the evening and will recess when all speakers have had an opportunity to testify.  If there are no additional speakers, we will adjourn the hearing immediately after the recess.  Written statements submitted at a hearing will be considered part of the hearing record.  If you are unable to attend the hearing, you may submit written statements until October 10, 2000.  Send written statements to the Regional Director (MS 5410), Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, Minerals Management Service, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana  70123-2394.

Our practice is to make comments, including names and home addresses of respondents, available for public review during regular business hours.  Individual respondents may request that we withhold their home address from the record, which we will honor to the extent allowable by law.  There also may be circumstances in which we would withhold from the record a respondent’s identity, as allowable by law.  If you wish to withhold your name and/or address, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your comment.  However, we will not consider anonymous comments.  We will make all submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety.

The MMS is the Federal agency that manages the Nation’s oil, natural gas, and other mineral resources on the OCS; and collects, accounts for, and disburses about $4 billion in yearly revenues from offshore Federal mineral leases and from onshore mineral leases on Federal and American Indian lands.

-MMS-GOM-
MMS's Website Address:  http://www.mms.gov