THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS, January 11, 2024 – Arena Energy, LLC (“Arena”), a leading independent oil and gas exploration company focused on the Gulf of Mexico Shelf, recently established an artificial reef site at South Marsh Island 192, which is located in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico approximately 100 miles off the coast of Louisiana.

The South Marsh Island 192 A platform (SMI 192A) was installed in 1996 in 399’ of water.  After producing oil and natural gas  for almost 25 years, the wells were plugged and removed in 2022 and the production facilities were removed the following year.   The upper 95’ of the underwater structure was detached and the lower 300’ of the structure remains in the water.  

In September 2023, Arena conducted an underwater survey of the reefed structure and found a thriving ecosystem of fish and coral living on and around the structure. If this platform had been retired by traditional methods, the marine habitat would have been destroyed. Currently, only about 1,500 platforms remain on the Gulf of Mexico Shelf of the almost 7,000 that were installed over the last seventy-five years.  

Brent Ozenne, CEO of Arena Offshore, LP, said “The industry is removing fifty to eighty structures a year and some of these marine ecosystems that could be preserved are being lost.  This was a great opportunity to work with the State of Louisiana and our partners in the federal government to preserve an existing marine ecosystem in the Gulf of Mexico.”  

About Arena Energy

Arena Energy, LLC  was founded in 1999 on the belief that mature producing areas of the Gulf of Mexico Shelf still held vast potential – and that with the right technology, talented oil and gas finders could unlock these drilling opportunities. Today, that vision has been realized many times over. Since its founding, Arena has grown into one the largest private offshore oil and natural gas companies, having invested more than $4.5 billion of capital in the Gulf of Mexico, paid $1.5 billion in royalties to the federal government, and decommissioned over three hundred wells and forty-five platforms and other structures. Arena takes pride in safely and responsibly producing the energy that powers the United States and the world.

Contact Information:

Kevin Bruce 
Vice President – Government Affairs 
kbruce@arenaoffshore.com 
281-210-0536