FOR RELEASE: February 21, 1995            CONTACT:     Lee Scurry
                                                   (202) 208-3983
                                                      Caryl Fagot
                                                   (504) 736-2595

                             PRESS ADVISORY


     The U.S. Department of the Interior's Minerals Management
Service (MMS) and the U.S. Department of Transportation's
Officeof Pipeline Safety will sponsor an international workshop
on "Damage to Underwater Pipelines," February 22-24 at the
Doubletree Hotel, 300 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA.

     The ability to cope effectively with damage to offshore
pipelines has become a major responsibility of the modern natural
gas and oil industry.  In order to sustain safe operations,
secure environmental quality, and maintain efficient use of
resources, professionals in this field must address pipeline
design, damage mitigation measures, and repair techniques. 

     This workshop will provide a forum to discuss a variety of
topics including:
     -- Risk Management
     -- Crisis Response
     -- Regulatory Issues
     -- Operational and Other Damage
     -- Reliability Design for New and Existing Pipelines
     -- Repair Considerations
     -- Response to Abnormal Situations

     MMS is the federal agency that manages and regulates the
nation's natural gas, oil and other mineral resources on the
Outer Continental Shelf, and collects and disburses revenues from
offshore federal mineral leases and from onshore mineral leases
on federal and Indian lands.

                               -MMS-