The Coast Guard has finalized a 500-meter safety zone around Chevron's ANCHOR floating production unit (FPU) in Green Canyon Block 763, on the Outer Continental Shelf in the Gulf of America. Chevron requested the zone.
The zone bars vessels from coming within 500 meters (1,640.4 feet) of any point on the facility, which sits at 27°12′23.0394″ N, 91°11′53.1594″ W (NAD 83). Entry requires permission from the Coast Guard's Heartland District commander or a designated representative. Attending vessels, as defined in 33 CFR 147.20, and vessels under 100 feet that are not towing, are exempt.
The Coast Guard said the zone addresses the risk of allisions, collisions, security breaches, oil spills and releases of natural gas near the unit. It is meant to protect personnel aboard the facility as well as the surrounding environment.
The rule finalizes a proposal the Coast Guard first published on April 14, 2023. The public comment period closed on May 15, 2023 without a single comment filed. The final rule carries no substantive changes from that proposal; the only edit swaps "Gulf of Mexico" for "Gulf of America" throughout the text. The Coast Guard is acting under its authority in 14 U.S.C. 544. It also certified the rule will not significantly affect small businesses, since vessel traffic can transit around the zone and the smallest vessels are exempt outright.
