1.3 — ONSHORE SUPPORT FACILITIES 



Since the inception of offshore drilling on the Gulf 

 Coast in 1947, Louisiana and Texas have developed an extensive 

 infrastructure of support facilities. The activities offshore 

 have generated a need for platform fabrication yards, ports 

 and waterways, supply and service industries, onshore storage 

 facilities, highways, airports and heliports, vocational 

 schools, pipelines, and electrical power. 



Of a total of four large platform fabrication yards in the USA, 

 three are on the Gulf Coast. One of these, owned by Brown and 

 Root is located near Houston, Texas while the other two, owned 

 by J. Ray McDermott and Avondale Ship Yards, are located near 

 Morgan City, Louisiana. In addition to supplying the Gulf 

 Coast, these yards have built platforms for Nigeria, the North 

 Sea, and the Persian Gulf (Conservation Foundation, 1976: 

 2.1-3). 



Other major onshore facilities required to support off- 

 shore operations are ports and waterways. These are important 

 to provide water transportation access to the offshore rigs 

 for personnel and supplies. Major service industries will 

 usually be associated with the ports to provide the needs 

 generated by OCS development. For example, terminal and 

 storage facilities are needed to serve as collecting points 

 for oil brought to shore by pipeline or barge. Also, oil 

 field supply companies need storage and warehouse facilities. 

 Cement, mud, and chemical firms require equipment and 



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