In its 2008 annual report, Mariner Energy, the owner of the rig, paints a detailed picture of Vermilion Oil Rig 380, the shallow water rig that exploded off the
“„Our largest field in the Gulf of Mexico Shelf by reserves is Vermilion 380. At year-end 2008, estimated proved reserves attributed to this field were 33.1 Bcfe [billions of cubic feet], consisting of approximately 50% oil and 50% natural gas. During 2008, we drilled three wells and completed one well before Hurricane Ike damaged the platform. Hurricane Ike also interrupted the drilling of a fourth well. Remaining development involves finishing the drilling of the fourth well, drilling a fifth well and completing the remaining wells. We anticipate that production from the five new wells will commence by third quarter 2009. The field currently has two producing wells (one of which is the new well we drilled and completed in 2008) in 340 feet of water. These two wells produced approximately 0.5 Bcfe in 2008.