decommissioned platform transforms into reef

Erin Englert sometimes wishes she were a scuba diver so she could plunge deep into the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and see the results of her work.

As a Chevron regulatory affairs advisor, she facilitates programs that transform decommissioned oil and gas platforms into marine life habitats.

Her latest project involves turning the spar, or hull, of the former Genesis Platform into a gathering spot for creatures like coral, tropical fish and anemones.

Marine life is attracted to offshore platforms, and state officials want the structures to continue to provide ecological benefits when decommissioned.

“Fish are reliant upon them as a habitat,” said Mike McDonough, artificial reef program coordinator with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. “It’s rewarding to see them thrive.”

This year, the Genesis’ spar will be submerged in deep water off Louisiana’s coast, just as hundreds of other decommissioned structures have been before it.

It’s not unusual for platform components to be repurposed. For instance, in 2022, Chevron’s Pascagoula Refinery in Mississippi donated equipment for use as artificial reefs offshore.

Genesis is unique in that it is a floating spar, not a fixed structure, being turned into a fish habitat.

“When complete, the project will give Genesis the opportunity to continue to benefit marine life for generations to come,” said Casey Voisin, offshore installation manager.

In its previous life, Genesis was considered an offshore game changer. Its innovative 705-foot, 28,700-ton steel floating spar was the first to house both drilling and production facilities.

The platform’s transformation is allowing it to live on in a new, underwater world.

“It’s bittersweet,” said Voisin, who has worked on the platform for approximately seven years. “I’m glad I get to see her away and help her find her new purpose. I am honored to have been a part of it.”