Gulf of Mexico summary report, October 1984 - June 1985. Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas activities in the Gulf of Mexico and their onshore impacts

The northern Gulf of Mexico continues to be a world leader in the production of offshore oil and gas, with a cumulative total of over 6 billion barrels of crude oil and 67 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Production in the Gulf accounts for more than 90 percent of Federal offshore oil and gas production annually. Development in the region has gradually progressed from onshore sites, to coastal bays and estuaries, to the continental shelf, and to the upper continental slope. In the future, frontier areas in the deeper reaches of the northern Gulf will receive much attention. The magnitude of oil and gas development in the Gulf of Mexico, on both State and Federal lands, has caused concern over the possible environmental effects of these activities. One area of major concern is the loss of coastal wetlands resulting from the complex interaction of natural processes and man's activities in coastal areas, of which Outer Continental Shelf development is only a small part. Recent study has focused on the best methods to prevent or mitigate these losses.