Rigs to Reefs

Rigs-to-reefs is the heart of the Texas Artificial Reef Program. It primarily involves the recycling of obsolete petroleum platforms into permanent artificial reefs rather than allowing them to be taken ashore as scrap. Rigs make ideal artificial reefs because they are environmentally safe, are constructed of highly durable and stable material that withstands displacement or breakup and already support a thriving reef ecosystem.

The decline in oil and gas activity in the Gulf in the 1980's resulted in an increased number of rigs being scrapped. Recognition that these de facto reefs provided a valuable habitat and should be preserved led to the creation of comprehensive planning guides for artificial reef development.

In Texas, the Artificial Reef Act of 1989 directed the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to promote and enhance the artificial reef potential off Texas. To fulfill this purpose, the Department developed the Texas Artificial Reef Plan (PDF 3 MB) adopted by the Parks and Wildlife Commission in 1990. The Artificial Reef Program is guided by that Plan.

To date, more than 100 offshore petroleum structures have been donated by cooperating oil and gas companies. Currently, the Artificial Reef Program receives 50% of an oil company's savings from converting the jacket to a reef instead of taking the structure to shore where it is salvaged. Federal law requires decommissioned structures to be removed for salvage if they do not participate in the ARP. The Rigs-to-Reef Program is a mechanism for preserving the complex biological communities unintentionally created by the pursuit of oil and gas in the Gulf of Mexico. The funds received are used to finance research, administration, maintenance, liability, and construction of new artificial reefs. The funds also make the Texas Artificial Reef Program self-sufficient, with no need for taxpayer dollars.

The pursuit of oil and gas resources has led the resource recovery industry further offshore as each oil and gas field becomes depleted and as technologies have developed and increased the capacities to operate in deeper waters. Currently, major oil companies are focusing on developing oil and gas fields in waters greater than 3,000 feet deep. The Texas continental shelf is shallow for many miles, particularly on the upper coast, and traveling to deeper waters for recreational pursuits is time and cost prohibitive.