Shell Exploration & Production Company

Nominator’s Name: Holly A. Karrigan, Unit Supervisor, Reservoir Analysis Unit, Office of Production and Development, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region

For several years now, Mr. Andrew M. Burglass of Shell Exploration and Production Company has played an instrumental role in helping employees at the Gulf of Mexico Region (GOMR), Minerals Management Service (MMS), by providing them with additional educational opportunities. Thanks to his proactive approach, employees have received specialized training applicable to their job functions. He has arranged for MMS employees of the Gulf of Mexico OCS Region to visit the FMC Energy Systems plant and the Reading and Bates Falcon Deepwater Nautilus rig. As a senior regulatory specialist with Shell Exploration and Production Company (Shell), Mr. Burglass makes sure that all submittals are in compliance with the Code of Federal Regulations.

Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton, Andrew M. Burglass, and Acting MMS Director Thomas R. Kitsos

Recently, Shell Offshore Inc. (Shell) and FMC Energy Systems (FMC) hosted sixteen GOMR MMS employees, who included geoscientists, petroleum engineers, and petroleum engineering technicians for the Offices of Production and Development, Field Operations, and Leasing and Environment. Mr. Burglass initiated and coordinated this subsea and production systems briefing and facility tour at the FMC Energy Systems in Houston, Texas.

These efforts were very time consuming for him and involved arrangements for transportation, speakers, and tour guides from both Shell and FMC. He had a comprehensive packet, which included copies of all of the material the speakers presented prepared and distributed to the MMS employees. The presentation covered topics such as Subsea Systems Overview, Subsea Alliance and Standardization, the Uniqueness of Subsea, and Safety Briefing and Tour Instructions. During the tour, MMS employees viewed products and subsea systems used for deepwater conservation projects that are evaluated by MMS. This service, provided by Mr. Burglass, aided MMS employees by keeping them current on evolving offshore technology.

The presentation and tour were informative and are invaluable to MMS employees in assessing deepwater Conservation Information Documents (CID's). Because of Mr. Burglass' endeavor, MMS employees attained a greater appreciation of the complexities, risks, and costs associated with deepwater subsea development projects. All employees were very complimentary of the entire presentation and tour.

Mr. Burglass made arrangements with the crew of the Reading and Bates Falcon Deepwater Nautilus rig, along with Shell, to host twelve GOMR MMS employees from the Office of Production and Development that included petroleum engineers and geoscientists. While the Nautilus rig was in port in Galveston, Texas, a Shell-drilling engineer gave an informative presentation on the Nautilus' origins, its construction in Korea, and everything from stratigraphy to buoyancy. The presentation was followed by a tour of the impressive rig. MMS employees viewed the living facilities, medical facilities, navigation room, control and communications room, drilling floor, moon pool area, mudroom blowout preventer stacks, remote operating vehicle and risers. The entire presentation and tour were educational and will be very useful when evaluating deepwater CID's.

Recently, Mr. Burglass invited Supervisors and Section Chiefs to tour the Shell training facility in Robert, Louisiana. This facility provides hands-on instruction suited to individual needs and is equipped with the latest technology.

Mr. Burglass continues to coordinate activities that provide GOMR MMS Gulf Region employees with informative training. He will arrange for GOMR MMS employees to tour Shell's "Brutus" Tension Leg Platform in spring 2001, in what is sure to be an enlightening and invaluable educational opportunity.

In addition to the training activities that Mr. Burglass has coordinated for MMS Gulf Region employees, he has also taken a proactive approach in complying with NWS regulations. As a senior regulatory specialist with Shell, he is readily available to help us locate needed information and to answer any questions pertaining to submittals. He makes sure that all submittals comply with the Code of Federal Regulations, and ensures that the necessary data are available to complete a request. For all deepwater CID's, Mr. Burglass assembles his team and presents the Reservoir Analysis Unit, Office of Production and Development, with an in-depth presentation on the project. These informative presentations aids the Reservoir Analysis Unit, Office of Production and Development, in expediting processing of deepwater CID's and addresses any questions or needs for additional data. Employees from the Offices of Resource Evaluation and Field Operations also attend these meetings.

Mr. Burglass' efforts reinforce MMS's commitment to customer- focused values and foster cooperative professional relationships. Thanks to the several educational opportunities he has provided, Mr. Burglass has improved MMS’s ability to meet Offshore mission objectives.