3SGTE OIL PUMP

Shellfish Aquaculture Research and Education Facility

Adjacent to the FWC Marine Laboratory in Cedar Key is the Shellfish Aquaculture Research and Education Facility which serves as a field station for UF research and extension faculty. Funding for this facility was provided in 2002 through a special research grant awarded to the UF Agricultural Experiment Station by the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service. The facility accommodates various research projects pertaining to shellfish aquaculture through other funding opportunities. Since the facility is conveniently located just 60 miles west of UF’s main campus in Gainesville, faculty and graduate students utilize it as a remote field station. The 1,400 square foot “pole-barn” structure sits atop of a pile-supported dock over a saltwater tidal creek. Located on county property, the Levy County Board of County Commissioners provides support for this facility through a lease agreement with the university. An excellent source of sea water is available from a deep water channel through a delivery system consisting of submersible pumps and dual intake lines. The design of the facility emphasizes versatility to address multiple needs. Water filtration components, plumbing and fiberglass tanks of several sizes are installed to allow for the greatest amount of flexibility to accommodate various projects. Research efforts presently underway include evaluation of basic breeding techniques to improve stock performance and development of alternative molluscan shellfish species for culture. The facility also supports educational efforts. For example, a "shore-based" clam farming exhibit promotes understanding of the industry by school, 4-H, and other groups

When built the Thunder Horse semi-submersible drilling and production facility was about 50 percent larger than the next largest floating semi-submersible rig in the world. It can process 250,000 barrels of oil and 200 million cubic feet of natural gas per day – enough energy to provide for 6.5 million American homes. It cost around $5 billion.

The Thunder Horse area, which is 150 miles offshore of Texas in the Gulf of Mexico, has the potential to produce approximately 1 billion barrels of oil equivalent over the life of the field, making it the largest discovery in the gulf to date.

The Blue Marlin is itself an amazing ship, transporting semi-subs around the world. It can ballast itself so that the central section is well under water, the semi-sub is then floated across it and the ballast pumped out to lift the rig clear of the water.