FOR RELEASE:  June 17, 1994                  CONTACT:  Lee Scurry
                                                    (202)208-3983
                 MMS AWARDS $371,325 CONTRACT 
                TO LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY (#40040)

     The Department of the Interior's Minerals Management Service
(MMS) announced today that a $371,325 contract has been awarded to
Louisiana State University (LSU) under the Coastal Marine Institute
(CMI) program.  To date, MMS and LSU have each contributed
approximately $2.5 million to fund the CMI program.

     "The CMI program provides an excellent means of building
partnerships with states in strengthening environmental, social,
and economic studies," MMS Director Tom Fry said.  "These studies
will provide both MMS and the state of Louisiana with the best
scientific information possible upon which to base decisions about
natural gas and oil activities.  

     "This most recent contract will provide for a 3-year study to
help determine the localized effect on regional fish populations
caused by the installation, operation and subsequent removal of
natural gas and oil structures," said Fry.

     Researchers will examine the abundance, biomass, and behavior
of fish adjacent to three natural gas and oil platforms in the
Northern Gulf of Mexico, Fry said.  Data collection will occur in
the Grand Isle area, with the bulk of the data analysis to take
place at LSU's Coastal Fisheries Institute in Baton Rouge,
Louisiana.

     MMS's funds will be matched by contributions of both funding
and in-kind services from LSU and Mobil USA, Inc.  

     MMS administers federal offshore mineral programs and manages
the federal mineral royalty program.

     The MMS Environmental Studies Program has funded more than
$600 million in scientific research and marine habitat studies
since 1974.  More than 90 percent of these studies are performed
under cooperative agreements with state and federal research
organizations, academic institutions, and private industry.

                              -MMS-
Subject: PR-06/17/94 LSU Contract/MMS Awards $371,325 Contract to
Louisiana State University (#40040)