The Energy Law Blog : Energy Lawyer & Attorney : Liskow & Lewis Law Firm : Gulf Coast, Offshore

By Michael A. Mahone, Jr.

The Louisiana Mineral and Energy Board is currently reviewing an incentive proposal that would offer a “royalty relief incentive” on new drilling leases along the Louisiana coast. Specifically, the proposal would offer royalties for a period of three years for wells drilled to a depth of fifteen thousand feet along the coastal zone. The royalties would begin at one-sixth and then switch to eighteen percent once production volume reaches five billion cubic feet. The purpose of the incentive is to stimulate drilling in southern Louisiana, which has been declining as of late due to the rapid investment in natural gas plays in the northern portion of the State, most notably in the Haynesville Shale gas field. This proposal would also better position Louisiana to compete for investment and drilling with other states, such as Texas and Pennsylvania. Discussion and a possible vote on this proposal are expected at the next Board meeting on May 12.
 

For more information see neworleanscitybusiness.com/blog/2010/04/15/proposal-encourages-oil-gas-exploration-in-south-louisiana/

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By Kelly Becker

Federal Judge Ginger Berrigan issued a comprehensive Order and Reasons addressing and granting a series of motions to dismiss filed by oil and gas company defendants, and individual executive officer defendants, all of which were pending in the consolidated federal court Bonvillain Terrebonne Parish ad valorem tax suits. The Court gave Assessor Bonvillain ten days to file amended complaints to cure, if he can, the number of deficiencies pointed out in the opinion. As to all defendants, the majority of whom were represented by Liskow & Lewis, the Court examined and ruled on three primary issues: (1) finding that the Assessor lacks state law standing to assert claims to recover tax amounts allegedly due the Parish of Terrebonne/tax fraud claims; (2) finding that the Assessor lacks RICO standing; and (3) finding that the Assessor failed to meet the requirement to plead fraud claims with particularity. The Court also dismissed several individual defendants named in the suits based upon lack of personal jurisdiction over the individual. Bonvillain has until Thursday, April 8, 2010 to file any amended complaint. If Bonvillain fails to do so, the order of dismissal becomes automatically effective. Thereupon, Bonvillain can appeal the Court’s rulings to the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal.

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By Elisabeth Lorio Baer

Kivalina, Alaska, an Inupiat Eskimo village of 400 inhabitants perched on a barrier island north of the Arctic Circle, is bringing suit against two dozen fuel and utility companies, including ExxonMobil and Shell Oil, accusing them of helping to cause the climate change that it alleges is accelerating the island’s erosion. The village wants the companies to pay the costs of relocating to the mainland, which could amount to as much as $400 million.

The case is one of three major climate change lawsuits. In the other two cases, a Connecticut and a Mississippi case, the federal appeals courts reversed the district courts’ dismissal of the actions. With actions in three circuit courts, Supreme Court review may be on the horizon. President Obama’s senior advisor for energy and climate change, Carol M. Browner, however, urges that setting environmental standards is best left to the legislature.

Kivalina alleges in its Complaint that the industry conspired “to suppress the awareness of the link” between emissions and climate change through “front groups, fake citizen organizations and bogus scientific bodies.” These claims echo those alleged in the tobacco cases and could result in settlement negotiations, increased government regulation, and the eventual large recovery for plaintiffs.

For the full article, see http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/27/business/energy-environment/27lawsuits.html?th&emc=th
 

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By Michael A. Mahone, Jr.

In U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission v. Dizona, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit recently considered allegations by the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission that a natural gas trader had attempted to manipulate the price of natural gas by knowingly delivering false and inaccurate price and volume data to reporting services. These data gathering services would solicit bid data at the end of each month and would analyze this data to postulate an index price for natural gas, which would in turn set the price for the following month. Supposedly, the data reported to the reporting service was not based upon actual trades but was instead fabricated by the defendant to affect these indices, either positively or negatively. The Fifth Circuit ultimately agreed with the district court that there was insufficient evidence of price manipulation, once incriminating hearsay evidence was excised. Specifically, the Court explained that the Commission’s expert’s “general findings of biased reporting” and the vague incriminating statements made by the defendant on an audiotape (i.e., wherein he implicitly indicated that he would make sure to set the price at a particular level) were insufficient to show that the defendant delivered false reports in an attempt to manipulate the market price of natural gas. Yet, while the Commission was unable to prove its case in this instance, the theory advocated could very well be successful in the future, provided that better evidence is available.

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data2/circs/5th/0820418cv0p.pdf
 

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By Matthew Simone

After seven months of discussion and postponement, Caddo Parish Commissioners approved new regulations affecting oil and gas operations. These regulations involve three directives. First, loud operations within five hundred feet of hospitals, residences, religious, commercial, or public buildings in urban areas, may only take place Monday through Saturday between 8 A.M. and 5 P.M. Second, oil and gas operations may not use public water supplies unless permitted by state or parish approval. Last, lighting within three hundred feet of public roads or adjacent property may not shine directly on those sites. These regulations are scheduled to take affect on November 1, 2009. However, they will not affect wells that were in use prior to January 2008 in an effort to protect smaller companies which have been operating in the area before that time.

The new laws also mirror current state and Bossier City ordinances affecting the use of public roads and acceptable noise levels, but Caddo officials may re-visit these areas and increase the level of regulation at a later date. Caddo Parish Attorney Charles Grubb stated that the aim of the new ordinances is to “end up in the future with a more comprehensive system of permits and advanced notification.”

For more information go to:
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20090917/NEWS01/90917043
 

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By Emma J. Hinnigan

This entry updates an earlier blog entry posted on May 4, 2009, discussing two lawsuits filed by the tax assessor for Terrebonne Parish against Burlington and LL&E for alleged underpayment of property taxes. The attorneys responsible for filing these lawsuits have held true to their promise that the lawsuits would be the first of many. On August 17, 2009, they filed an additional 29 new lawsuits against “big oil” companies. To date, the tax assessor for Terrebonne Parish is the only plaintiff involved. However, the attorneys do claim that they have assessors from other parishes on board and will file further suits in the future.

The link below is to the website created by the attorneys responsible for filing these lawsuits.

For more information, please contact Robert Angelico, Jim Exnicios, or Cheryl Kornick.
www.paytaxesoil.com
 

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By Emma J. Hinnigan

On June 10, 2009, the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC) reaffirmed its strong stance that the states remain best positioned to regulate the use of hydraulic fracturing for the production of oil and natural gas. The IOGCC’s response comes on the heels of two bills introduced in the House and the Senate calling for the repeal of the exemption of hydraulic fracturing from the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), which would effectively give the federal government jurisdiction over the regulation of the technology. Hydraulic fracturing plays a major role in the development of unconventional oil and natural gas resources, and some claim the process contaminates underground drinking water sources. The Executive Director of the IOGCC, Carl Michael Smith, explained that states do a “superb job of protecting human health and the environment through sound regulation.” Smith warned that an “unnecessary shift to federal regulation of hydraulic fracturing could greatly inhibit the production of much-needed oil and natural gas resources when our nation’s energy security is critical.”

For more information, go to
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/06/prweb2522454.htm
 

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By Jacob Credeur

The Caddo Parish Commission is preparing for a public hearing on May 21 where it is set to discuss proposed drilling regulations for operators in the Haynesville Shale. The commission is working on the set of ordinances in committee discussions and is seeking to acquire public input before taking action. The proposed regulations, as they currently stand, would cover everything from dust abatement, vibrations, odors, and noise to use of public water supplies and pipeline installation. Caddo Parish Attorney Charles Grubb has stated the intent of the proposed ordinances is to make certain that when drilling is done in populated areas “it is done in such a way that we don't lose quiet, peaceful possession of our property,”

For more information see: http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20090429/NEWS01/904290359/1060
 

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By Jacob Credeur

A recent article in the Shreveport Times indicates that payouts from the Haynesville Shale formation are leaving even the biggest players surprised. Even though Petrohawk Energy, Chesapeake, and other producers are scaling back production activity nationally because of reduced demand for natural gas, many producers are ramping up their activities in North Louisiana. The early reports from wells there indicate production levels up to ten times higher than wells in other productive gas fields. According to the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, Petrohawk had the top producing well in the state for the month of December with roughly 713.4 million cubic feet of production. With numbers like those it is no surprise that some companies are placing in excess of 50% of their 2009 budget into the shale play.
While some of the numbers and production being reported out of the Haynesville Shale are staggering, many in the industry warn that development will remain slow without an upturn in the markets and increase demand for natural gas.
For more on the article, see http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20090317/NEWS01/903170315
 

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By Katie Cambre

As reported in the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil & Gas Association Daily News Summary, a federal auction of drilling tracts in the central Gulf of Mexico drew far fewer bids at much lower prices than during past auctions, and analysts attributed the decline to a poor economy and new energy policies proposed by President Barack Obama.

The lean sale directly affects Louisiana, which shares with Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas revenue from an area of the Gulf, which accounted for 5.8 million acres included in the auction.

Still, analysts and federal officials called the sale a success, pointing to fierce competition for several different areas.

For further information, see http://www.nola.com/business/t-p/index.ssf?/base/money-2/1237441027220440.xml&coll=1
 

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By Emma Hinnigan

U.S. oil and natural gas producing companies should not receive federal subsidies in the form of tax breaks because their businesses contribute to global warming, U.S. Secretary Timothy Geithner said when speaking to Congress on March 4, 2009. Geithner explained, “we don’t believe it makes sense to significantly subsidize the production and use of sources of energy that are dramatically going to add to our climate change. We don’t think that’s good economic policy and we think changing those incentives is good for the country.” The Secretary’s comments, made when speaking to the Senate Finance Committee on the proposed budget, reinforced the Obama administration’s stance that new U.S. energy policy will focus on promoting renewable energy sources and rely less on traditional fossil fuels. The proposed budget would levy an excise tax on oil and gas produced in the Gulf of Mexico, which is expected to raise $5.3 billion from 2011 to 2019. However, the tax will only affect companies currently using a loophole to avoid paying royalties on the energy supplies they drill. Those already paying royalties would get a tax credit. Senator John Cornyn of Texas criticized the proposed tax, saying it will hurt independent energy companies who provide a large share of U.S. oil and gas supplies.
For more information, go to
http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKN0454844120090304
 

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The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009, signed into law yesterday by President Obama, includes several key provisions for the energy industry including $20 billion in tax incentives and $30 billion in spending for certain renewable energy plans. For more information regarding specific energy related provisions and incetives in the stimulus package, including energy related tax credits and tax-based subsidies, go to http://www.cailaw.org/iel_elert/

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The U.S. House of Representatives passed Speaker Pelosi’s Energy Bill, H.R. 6899, titled “Comprehensive American Energy Security and Consumer Protection Act.” Title I addresses the existing moratoria, future OCS access, exploration, production and royalty questions. Below is a synopsis of the bill.

 

 

Continue Reading...

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The Texas Supreme Court this morning issued its long-awaited decision in Coastal Oil & Gas Corp. v. Garza Energy Trust, holding that the rule of capture bars recovery for damages for subsurface trespass caused by hydraulic fracturing. A concurring opinion and an opinion concurring in part and dissenting in part were also filed. Copies of the opinions are available at: http://www.supreme.courts.state.tx.us/historical/082908.asp

 The Court also held

 1. Mineral lessors with a reversionary interest have standing to bring an action for subsurface trespass causing actual injury;

2. The measure of damages for breach of the implied covenant to protect against drainage is the value of the mineral lost because of the lessee’s failure to act with reasonable prudence, and there was no evidence of such in this case;

3. Some evidence supported the jury’s finding of breach of the implied covenant to develop;

4. Some evidence supported the jury’s finding of bad faith pooling;

5. Admission into evidence of a memorandum containing a racial slur was reversible error; and

6. The trial court did not abuse its discretion in refusing to abate this case for two related cases.

 Liskow attorney Everard A. Marseglia, Jr., submitted a brief as amicus curiae on behalf of the Texas Oil & Gas Association. A copy of the TxOGA brief is available at this link.
 

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           Effective August 15, 2008, employers will no longer be able to prevent employees from carrying firearms onto employer property if those firearms are in locked, privately-owned vehicles.  The change is the result of Senate Bill 51, which was sponsored by Sen. Joe McPherson and signed into law as Act No. 684 by Governor Bobby Jindal on July 2nd of this year.  Under the new law, people who lawfully possess firearms cannot be prevented from carrying them onto any designated parking area, including garages and parking lots, as long as the firearm is stored in a locked, privately owned vehicle. 

            As written, all property owners are subject to the Act’s provisions, including employers who wish to prevent employees from carrying firearms onto employer property.  Property where firearms are already prohibited under state or federal law is exempt, as are most employer-owned vehicles which are used by employees for business purposes.  In addition, employers are allowed to prevent firearms from being carried in areas where access is restricted by such means as a fence or signage, as long as the employer provides temporary firearm storage facilities or an additional parking area that is unrestricted.    

            Although the Act provides property owners, tenants, employers and business entities with immunity from civil liability for any damages arising out of incidents involving firearms transported or stored on their property pursuant to the Act, concerns exist, particularly among the state’s industrial sector.  The Louisiana Chemical Association (LCA) and the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association (LMOGA) both opposed the bill, citing safety and liability concerns.

            As businesses begin to sort through compliance issues and assess their firearm policies, questions abound.  Companies are looking at constitutional and preemption issues, as well as similar laws that have been passed in states like Oklahoma and Florida, for answers.

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By:  April Rolen-Ogden

Exxon Shipping Co., et al. v. Baker, et al. involved a class action that was filed by commercial fisherman and native Alaskans against Exxon and its tanker captain for economic losses suffered as a result of the now infamous Exxon Valdez oil spill that occurred in 1989. 

Continue Reading...

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On Tuesday, February 26, the Louisiana Legislature adjourned a special session called by newly-elected Governor Bobby Jindal in the hope of enacting sweeping changes to Louisiana ethics laws relating to elected officials and other state administrators. The session resulted in the passage of a number of bills designed to increase transparency with respect to state officials’ financials, to limit potential influence by lobbyists, and to reduce potential conflicts of interest in state officials’ dealings with state agencies. Continue Reading...

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By Katie Caswell

The House Ways and Means Committee has introduced HR 5351, the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2008, which eliminates the manufacturing tax credit for major oil and gas companies and locks the credit at six percent for other producers and refiners. Further, this bill would force oil and gas companies to change the manner in which foreign tax credits are calculated and claimed for resources extracted overseas. HR 5351 would raise taxes on current energy companies by $17.5 billion and transfers the funds to energy sources such as wind, solar, geothermal, ethanol, and other renewable energy sources in the form of tax credits and bonds.

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h110-5351

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The Energy Information Agency reported as follows in its September 13, 2007, report:

Since Wednesday, September 5, natural gas spot prices increased as tropical storms threatened to disrupt supplies and pipeline explosions in Mexico stirred concerns of supply security.  Crude oil recorded yet another record high, increasing over $4 per barrel to nearly $80.

Commodity	Price or Volumes	Change since last	% Change
Natural Gas Spot (Henry Hub)	$6.13/MMBtu	UP                  $0.32	5.5%
NYMEX (September deliveries)	$6.438/MMBtu	UP                   $0.63	10.9%
Natural Gas in Storage	3,069 Bcf	UP                      64 Bcf	9.3%
West Texas Intermediate Spot	$79.85/Bbl	UP                   $4.11	5.4%

Predictions for LNG markets continue to be mixed.  LNG Week in Review quotes an analysis that predicts that, as warm weather has abated across the United States, LNG import volumes have declined and predicts that gas prices will favor European destinations for LNG until next spring.  Platts LNG Daily quotes another that global LNG supplies will grow by 25% in 2008, spurring a 40% increase of LNG imports to the United States.  Platts also quotes other predictions, however, that emphasizes start-up delays and lag time before U.S. projects meet full output capacity.

The EIA also reports that:

• Storage overview.  Several pipeline companies have issued restriction notices to interruptible storage service (ISS) customers.
• Northwest Pipeline Corporation asked shippers to keep their nominations at or below 440,000 Dth at the Meacham compressor station.

Southern Natural Gas Company announced that the 20-inch Gate 6 Toca Loop line in Louisiana is out of service, and the company anticipates that it will return to service at the end of October. Furthermore, the 20-inch Main Pass Franklinton line, also located in Louisiana, was expected to return to service by September 18.  As a result of the outage on the Franklinton line, the Bayou Gentilly and Delacroix points in Louisiana also will remain out of service for the same duration.

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Since Wednesday, August 29, natural gas spot prices increased in most markets (exceptions were Florida and Rocky Mountain region).  Crude oil was up over $2 per barrel.

Commodity	Price or Volumes	Change since last	% Change
Natural Gas Spot (Henry Hub)	$5.81/MMBtu	UP                  $0.17	3.0%
NYMEX (September deliveries)	$5.805/MMBtu	UP                   $0.22	4.0%
Natural Gas in Storage	3,005 Bcf	UP                      36 Bcf	10.4%
West Texas Intermediate Spot	$75.74/Bbl	UP                   $2.22	3.0%

Predictions of an underuse of an LNG regasification capacity continue.  One report is that if the 22 LNG terminals that have been approved for construction are built, their combined regasification capacity could reach 349 Bcm/y.  (If US LNG consumption grows 6% annually, consumption will total 46 Bcm/y by 2020.)

The EIA also reports that:

-  Florida Gas Transmission Company (FGT) issued an Overage Alert Day for September 5 with a 25 percent tolerance level as a result of high temperatures in its service territory.  FGT announced that it would not interrupt previously scheduled market area interruptible transportation service below the elapsed-prorated-scheduled quantity.  Furthermore, on September 5, FGT announced maintenance work beginning on September 6, which is expected to last until September 8.  The unscheduled maintenance is on the larger of the two units located in Mississippi at Tennessee Carnes Interconnect, upstream of FGT Compressor Station.  Because of the maintenance, FGT announced that during the outage the company will schedule up to about 950,000 MMBtu/day, whereas, normally, the company would schedule up to 1,150,000 MMBtu/day.

-   Colorado Interstate Gas Company announced on August 30 that it is undertaking maintenance at the Beaver Compressor station located south of Springfield, Colorado. One unit at the station will be out of service from September 6 to 30.  Capacity will be reduced to 250 MMcf/d from 262 MMcf/d. 

-   El Paso Natural Gas Company announced on September 1 that there was potential for high linepack conditions on its system.  The Washington Ranch storage facility located in Eddy County, New Mexico, is currently on maximum capacity for injection.  Furthermore, the company announced a strained operating condition warning, which was cancelled on September 3.

-   Transco Gas Pipeline Corporation released a notice on September 4 regarding firm backhaul transportation service for winter 2007-2008.  During September 4 to 11, Transco will be considering requests for firm backhaul transportation service for up to 200,000 decatherms per day (Dth/d) with a primary path from the Northeast, Station 210 in Zone 6 to Northeastern Louisiana, station 65 in zone 3.  The service period will be from October 1, 2007, through April 30, 2008.

From the EIA

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By Joe Giarrusso: 

In Louisiana, a lawsuit is generally deemed abandoned when the parties fail to take any step in its prosecution for three years.  This rule is operative without any formal order.  La. Code Civ. P. art 561.  However, Act 361 of 2007 extended the period for abandonment to five years where (1) the action was initiated prior to August 26, 2005, and was not previously declared abandoned under the general three year period, and (2) the party proves that the failure to take a step in the prosecution or defense of the suit was caused by or was a direct result of Hurricanes Katrina or Rita.  The revision became effective July 9, 2007.   Click here to read the Act.

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Since Wednesday, August 15, all prices reported in the weekly chart (for both natural gas and crude oil) have decreased as Hurricane Dean failed to have a significant impact on domestic production in the Gulf of Mexico, and temperatures moderated demand.  Natural gas volumes in storage continue to increase.

Commodity	Price or Volumes	Change since last	% Change
Natural Gas Spot (Henry Hub)	$5.840/MMBtu	DOWN            $1.46	20.0%
NYMEX (September deliveries)	$5.578/MMBtu	DOWN            $1.286	18.7%
Natural Gas in Storage	2,926 Bcf	UP                      23 Bcf	12.8%
West Texas Intermediate Spot	$69.30/Bbl	DOWN            $4.06	5.5%

The EIA also reports that:

• Northwest Pipeline Company announced that effective gas day August 22, and until further notice, injection requests for interruptible storage capacity at the Jackson Prairie storage facility in Washington State will not be accepted. Furthermore, all interruptible storage holders that have a balance in the storage facility must bring their storage balance to zero by September 7, 2007. Park and loan service remains available on a limited basis at the Jackson Prairie facility.

• Questar Pipeline Company announced that it will be performing piping modifications between September 18 and 19, 2007, as part of the Southern System Expansion II project. To facilitate the work, Mainline 40 will be taken out of service from the Fidlar Station in Utah to the Green River block valve, located 24 miles west of Fidlar. In all, the pipeline plans on shutting in 18 points and reducing nominations to zero during the modifications. In addition, the Mainline 40 capacity will be reduced to about 330,000 decatherms per day for the 2 days. Nominations are expected to return to normal for gas day September 20.

• Dominion Gas Transmission Company took the Smithburg station in Virginia out of service between August 22 and 23 for work related to a planned expansion of the station. During the outage, producer compression in bubble 4403 was shut in.

• Southern Natural Gas Company announced that it has experienced an unscheduled outage at the DeArmanville compressor station located on the north system in eastern Alabama. As a result of this outage, Southern may be required to limit interruptible capacity in Group 4 – Chattanooga Group, Group 13 – East Tennessee Group, and Group 59 – Tallapoosa Group and/or limit deliveries to 6 percent hourly entitlement rights. The limitation of interruptible capacity is supposed to remain in place until further notice

As reported by the Energy Information Agency

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In preparation for hurricane season, which began on June 1, the Minerals Management Service has established a web site that brings together extensive hurricane-related information and resources. The web site is designed to describe and explain improvements instituted since Hurricane Season 2005, when Hurricanes Katrina and Rita cut a destructive path through the Gulf of Mexico, Louisiana and Mississippi. These operational enhancements focus on personnel safety, environmental protection, and energy security, and include reporting procedures for offshore operators.  These practices were developed in collaboration with industry and many of the new requirements have already been implemented.  The website will be updated throughout the season with all available information regarding hurricane activity related to Gulf of Mexico energy operations.  Click here to visit the site.

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By Jonathan A. Hunter

MMS has issued a proposed notice scheduling Central Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 205 for October 3, 2007.  This will be the first  sale in the newly configured Central Gulf of Mexico Planning Area, and is the first Central GOM sale to be held in MMS’ 2007 – 2012 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program.  The proposed sale includes approximately 5,000 unleased blocks, covering over 28.5 million acres, and ranging from 3 to 210 miles offshore.   Click here for information on obtaining the proposed notice of sale.

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By Jana Grauberger:

Recently, Amy Myers Jaffe of Rice University's Baker Institute spoke to the Women's Energy Network of Houston on the topic of "The Changing Role of National Oil Companies in International Energy Markets." One interesting fact she presented is that, based on the amount of oil and gas reserve holdings, 14 of the top 20 upstream oil and gas companies in the world are national oil companies or newly privatized national oil companies. The focus of her speech was to share some of the results of case studies that the Baker Institute has done on several of these national oil companies to explore their company cultures, priorities, etc. To learn more about this project and to view the actual case studies, see the attached link.

www.rice.edu/energy/research/nationaloil/index.html

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By Jana Grauberger

Oil prices of $60/barrel are expanding the industry and providing incentive and opportunities for more small independent "wildcatter" companies. For some interesting statistics concerning exploration trends and a profile of one wildcatter, Cobalt International Energy, see the attached article from the New York Times.

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The Oil & Gas Journal's Annual Forecast & Review will be available as a live webcast on 1:30pm, CST Thursday, January 25. To watch the webcast of this valuable industry information:

1. Click on www.ogjonline.com

2. Scroll down to webcasts

3. Click on "Annual Forecast & Review " to go to the registration page.

The webcast will continue to be available online for one year following the live presentation.  Liskow & Lewis is a sponsor of this webcast.

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Two developments this week will increase protections for South Louisiana' s Port Fourchon and Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP).  Port Fourchon handles more than 75% of the oil and gas production from the Gulf of Mexico, while LOOP is the only port in the U.S. capable of offloading the deepest draft tankers.  First, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) added Port Fourchon and LOOP to the list of ports eligible for federal security grants under the Port Security Grant Program, which provides funding to improve protection of critical infrastructure against terrorism.  Click here for an overview of the 2007 DHS Infrastructure Protection Program.  Second, the State of Louisiana accepted a bid to elevate Louisiana Highway 1, which is the only highway leading to Port Fourchon and LOOP, to 22 feet above ground.  The roadway is a critical lifeline that carries nearly 1000 trucks per day transporting goods and workers to Port Fourchon, and from there to exploration and production operations in the Gulf.  The elevation project will protect this corridor from flooding and erosion.  For more on this project, click here. 

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