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The US Minerals Management Service has approved the use of floating production, storage, and offloading systems in the central and western Gulf of Mexico.
The oil industry has sought to use FPSOs as it moves to develop fields in deeper areas of the gulf, generally beyond 650 ft (OGJ Online, Feb. 9, 2001).
The MMS decision was published in the Dec. 31 Federal Register.
MMS, in record of decision on an environmental impact statement for FPSOs, said it "found no compelling environmental reason why development and production plans proposing to use this method of production should not be submitted by the oil and gas industry for evaluation by the agency."
It noted that the EIS found that FPSO systems do not pose a greater threat to the environment than do current development and production systems, given the application of mitigation measures keyed to the specific proposed operations and locations.
MMS said it would evaluate the potential emissions and impacts of any proposed use of an FPSO within 100 km of the Breton National Wildlife Area in southern Louisiana and will impose emission restrictions and mitigation requirements to ensure that no significant air quality impacts occur.
It said that proposed FPSO operations outside the range of the EIS study would require more extensive technical and environmental review to demonstrate equivalence to what the EIS covered.
The agency said it would not accept proposals for 2 years for FPSO use within the Lightering Prohibited Areas established by the US Coast Guard.
It said that would allow time for discussions with USCG on the potential use and impacts of FPSO operations in those areas.
