A fully manned offshore oil and gas production platform in the Gulf of Mexico. A jackup rig is drilling new, directional wells at the same discovery site. All manned platforms have a heliport and are fully furnished with living accomodations for their crews. On board crews monitor and maintain production operations around the clock. Estimates indicate the gulf's oil production will reach over 2.2 million barrels of oil and 13.4 billion cubic feet of gas per day by the year 2012.

RELATED KEYWORDS: aerial; overhead; view; perspective; angle; rig; directional; drilling; computer; automated; technical; reservoir; storage; on board; living; furnished; crew; heliport; accessible; remote; facilities; facility; serviced; monitored; producing; wells; Gulf of Mexico; distribution; distributing; production; energy; hydrocarbon; fossil; fuel; earth; natural; gas; petroleum; oil; resource; employ; service; serving; providing; supply; demand; shortage; domestic; inflation; inflated; price; economy; economic; business; discovery; shortage; domestic; inflation; inflated; price; economy; economic; business; industrial; industry; industries; national; system; network; companies; safe; protect; OSHA; risk; danger; regulate; America; United States; USA; U.S.A.; picture; photo; image; stock