Rigs to Reef Program on the Texas Gulf Coast

Fisherman and scuba divers know it best as “12-mile rig” one of the best and most easily accessible spots on the upper Texas Gulf Coast to find red snapper, king mackerel, cobia and even grouper. Working with the Parks and Wildlife service and the state of Texas, Devon Energy (formally Mitchell Energy) made this idle production platform at Galveston Block 189 even more homey for marine inhabitants as it transformed the structure into a new member of the state’s “Rigs to Reefs” program.

This thirteen-year-old program enables oil companies to avoid the high cost of completely removing structures in depleted fields and towing them to shore. More importantly, it preserves valuable marine habitat for sea critters who need a spot to feed and a place to hide from hungry predators in order to thrive and reproduce.

The Galveston Block 189 platforms are part of the 33rd reef site in the Texas program. The state also has placed on the Gulf floor old ships, flyash blocks, various concrete structures, large quarry rocks and other durable structures to form artificial reefs.