Lafourche Parish and Port Fourchon, Louisiana: Effects of the Outer Continental Shelf Petroleum Industry on the Economy and Public Services, Part 2

摘要

Published analysis indicates indicates that oil production from the Gulf of Mexico will increase in the range of 35 to 80 percent between 1998 and 2002 (7-10 percent per year). Production from deepwater fields will soon account for up to 64 percent of total Gulf of Mexico oil (compared to 26 percent in 1997). This increase in deepwater activity will require considerably more land based services than is currently available. Limitations on such facilities could place restrictions on future deepwater activities. Pout Fourchon' strategic location provides it with a competitive advantage as a supply base for oil-and-gas related activities in the Central Gulf of Mexico. These activities are diverse, ranging from supply boats used to service oil gas rigs to the maintenance and repair of mobile drilling rigs. Currently, more than 600 offshore platforms are located within a 40-mile radius of Port Fourchon and the Port is likely to play an increasingly important role as development in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) progresses. A Community Impact Model developed for Louisiana is used to evaluate the impact of the OCS petroleum industry on the economy and local government fiances of Laforche Parish. The OCS petroleum industry has and will continue to have a significant impact on the Laforche Parish economy according to model results. Model results also indicate increases in various revenue and expenditure categories due to the OCS petroleum industry.