1 DAY 2- -WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1989 



2 MORNING SESSION 

 3 



4 DR. AURAND: We will pick up the one paper that we left from 



5 yesterday before we start this morning's discussion, so we will do that 



6 without further delay, I guess. Then, afterwards, we will talk a little 



7 bit about what we intend to do for the rest of the meeting and what we 



8 hope to get out of it. 



9 For now, we will just go back and let Bob give his presentation on 



10 the Toms Canyon. Jim Ray indicated that you have been dodging giving 



11 him this information for years and that he was sure that was why you 



12 missed the plane. So, Jim, this is your chance. 



13 DR. RAY: Thanks, Don. 

 14 



15 PRESENTATION OF DR. ROBERT C. AYERS 



16 



17 DR. AYERS: I am going to take you back about ten years in time. 



18 In some cases, my memory is a little rusty, but this was back when we 



19 were projecting a $100 a barrel crude by 1990, and everybody was very 



20 excited about drilling on the East Coast. 



21 There wasn't any MMS then. We had BLM and we had USGS only. We 



22 at Exxon USA had a lease at Block 816 that happened to be near a 



23 relatively small submarine canyon. 



24 (Slide) 



25 It is not very clear. Is it out of focus or is it just sorry 



26 graphics? 



27 DR. AYERS: This is Block 816. It is 93 miles east of the New 



28 Jersey coast, Atlantic City, and near Block 816, actually at Block 815, 



29 is the canyon. 



30 Toms Canyon or the rim of the canyon down current was about 3.7 



31 kilometers from the well site and the axis of the canyon about 7 



32 kilometers from the well site. 



33 We did the study because we were required to. Initially, the Mid- 

 34 Atlantic Biological Task Force had decided we shouldn't drill a well at 



157 



