THE GULF OF MEXICO IS THE NINTH-LARGEST BODY OF WATER IN THE WORLD. The Gulf’s basin alone is about 600,000 square miles in size, and the entire area contains roughly 660 quadrillion gallons of water. Here, we dive deep into the Gulf of Mexico and explore the depths and possibilities of this impressive body of water.
N A L C O C H A M P I O N H A S 3 0 D E E P W AT E R ASSETS IN THE GULF OF MEXICO MAJOR TYPES O F P L AT F O R M S
TLP
0
WATER DEPTH (feet)
FPSO
SPAR
SEMI-SUB FPU
SHALLOW WATER Photic and Epipelagic Zones
1,000
The record held for deepest ocean breath-hold dive is about 550 feet.
Some sub-sea umbilical systems can be just over 100 km (328,000 ft) from the host facility.
Depth into which enough sunlight enters for photosynthesis.
SHARKS TUNA JELLYFISH SWORDFISH
DEEP WATER Mesopelagic Zone
DOLPHIN
(A.K.A. THE TWILIGHT ZONE)
5,000
At the end of 2008, there were 141 producing projects in the entire deep-water Gulf of Mexico.
5,000
Ultra Deep Water
Life here subsists on bacteria and scraps of dead plants and animals. This is the approximate depth to which sunlight penetrates into the ocean.
LARGE WHALES
CHAIN CATSHARK
ULTRA-DEEP WATER Bathypelagic Zone
Sperm whales are the deepest-diving mammals, diving to water depths greater than 9,000 feet.
OCTOPI
(A.K.A. THE DEEP SEA) Certified
SURFLOPLUS
There is no sunlight at this depth.
COLOSSAL SQUID
10,000
SEA FLOOR/SUBSURFACE Abyssopelagic Zone
VIPER FISH
(A.K.A. LOWER MIDNIGHT ZONE)
DEEP-SEA ANGLERFISH
+
14,383
15,000
The Deepest part of the Gulf of Mexico
nalcochampion.com
85
At its deepest point, the Gulf of Mexico is 14,383 feet (4,384 meters) deep.
SUBSEA UMBILICALS TREATED
Deep-water wells in the Gulf of Mexico account for about 80% of all crude oil produced in the gulf.
120
GLOBAL OFFSHORE ASSETS
Umbilical chemicals must be effective at low concentrations to inhibit corrosion, prevent scale, hydrate, asphaltene, and/or paraffin deposits and mitigate against emulsion- related viscosity problems. They must also be stable at sea bed temperatures near freezing and downhole temperatures of 300°F or higher. Nalco Champion’s SurFlo Plus certified chemistries have been specifically developed to meet these demanding require-ments and are field proven Best-In-Class chemical programs for umbilical applications.
300+
EMPLOYEES DEDICATED TO OFFSHORE
950 OFFSHORE PATENTS