on the Gulf Coast to offer OCS-related programs that are 

 not needed in other areas. For example, a survey by employers 

 in Lafourche Parish revealed an acute shortage of skilled 

 workers in occupations affected by OCS development, particularly 

 in the categories of "captains, mates, pilots, etc.," and 

 "metal fabrication, fitters, etc." These categories represent 

 the water transportation and boat building industries, both 

 important to OCS development (Mumphrey et al . , 1976: 320). A 

 good illustration of a response to this need is the nautical 

 science program at the Terrebonne Vocational Technical High 

 School in Houma (similar programs exist in Lafourche and 

 Jefferson Parishes). When the first class graduated in 1974, 

 the 27 graduates had a total of 206 job offers (LSU, 1976). 



Pipelines are the major means of transporting OCS produc- 

 tion to shore. All natural gas production and nearly all crude 



(A. 



oil production is transported to shore by pipeline: crude oil 

 either to a refinery or storage tank and natural gas to a gas- 

 processing plant. The Gulf Coast has developed such an 

 extensive pipeline system (see Figure 1.12) that it is 

 expected that very few, if any, new transmission lines will 

 be needed to accommodate new field development. This is a 

 result of current excess capacity and declining production of 

 existing fields (Mumphrey et al . , 1976). However, a major 



Barges and tankers are sometimes used as a temporary means of 

 transportation during field development or to transport oil 

 from fields with low production rates. Nearly all current 

 plans for developing petroleum resources within 200 miles of 

 the coast include pipelines as the means of transporting the 

 oil to shore (Mumphrey etal. , 1976: 357). 



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