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Random Quote: Vegetarian, Indian term for a bad fisherman
What are the chances of someone ever turning an old (non producing/capped) oil rig into a camp. You could helicopter(wealthy individuals) to the rig, drop them on top, and either fish off the rig or have a boat docked to the rig. Would Save 1-3 hours of boating(each way). Could set up beds, kitchen, bar, grill station, shit while im dreaming put a strip club there too. Guess you could never regulate fish caught if there cooking em there. Just an idea I always had. Seems like someone would pay. "Catch a tuna and dont step on a boat"
What u think? Could i get rich? Could I get Federal approval? Inssurance?
Could double as a gas station/bait shop/ offshore hotel.
There are lots of rigs that are removed once oil drys up! This might be a possiblity!! Need to look into it further!! Oh ya its going to take quite a bit of money$$$$$$ too!!
Would be nice but the upkeep would kill you not to mention all the compliance crap.
Give this man a cigar.
Compliance makes in not only difficult, it makes it impossible. You cannot assume the structure. The company leasing the water bottom has a life cycle obligation, which is not transferrable, except to other proven operators, and this is within the operator context. You would not be an operator, you would be a wholly different entity with different intent.
Assuming, for the sake of discussion, that you could assume the installation, you would still have to maintain the structure, which includes degradation assessment, mitigation, and reporting. You also have the cost of the water bottom lease, the legal assumption of the well that has been shut in by the company you purchased it from, and any and all environmental impacts, past, present and future that arise from your installation.
You could not even begin to afford the maintenance aspects, and you could not simply walk away from the project when you went bankrupt - you would be going to prison.
Finally, you would be completely unable to obtain insurance.
Hey, you asked.
Big Al
__________________ "Pedophiles must die" - Ted Nugent
Now, if you wanted to build a camp from scratch, that is more doable, but you still have to lease the water bottom that the structure will be attached to and/or anchored over; and building such a thing is a brazilian dollar undertaking. Insurance would be obtainable, but still very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, expensive.
Big Al
__________________ "Pedophiles must die" - Ted Nugent
I know some guys that regularly spend the night on some rigs offshore. They fish in an area with lots of unmanned rigs. Squatting is better than owning, just ask any illegal ailen. I immagine chances of getting caught are slim, and most times they would give you a good ass chewing and tell you to leave.
As far as owning a rig, it would be exponentially cheaper to pick up a 100' custom sportfishing yacht. Then you don't need a rig.
I agree about the Yacht being a better Idea, and let me see i think I just happen to know one Call me at Galati Yachts and I could take care of you. As far as finding a Oil Rig for sell I ran into a guy that was selling the Sanfrancisco Bridge, some ocean front property in New Mexico and he said he had a couple of Oil Rigs for sell also. I will get you his number if you want it.
While we're dreaming (although this is in my 25yr plan)......
Purchase an older workboat or shrimp boat, somewhere in the 200' range that can hold a shitload of fuel and supplies, with nice staterooms, a hot tub, bar, huge bbq pit, etc etc and use this as your mother ship anchored out in Green Canyon for a few months during the summer. Jump in something small and fast and cruise out to the ship for the weekend or longer....
What about getting some old house boat and anchoring somewhere on the bank in South Pass? I always see shrimp boats parked there. How long could you leave a boat like that "parked" in the marsh?
Stumprunner, do you remember Port Eads? Used to be houseboats down there, and you could even buy fuel. All pre-hurricane.
labuc, the Chouest Offshore boys have a toy like that. A retired workboat 150'-200' refit like a floating palace. They call it the C-Condo. I saw it lin Leeville once. I believe they have taken it all over the gulf and Pacific coast. Rumor says it has even been to Hawaii.
Must be nice.
Someone used to have 2 old oil barges tied together on the middle grounds and had a few tiny rooms built on it. I think you could rent the rooms for about $100 a night, but their real money maker was selling fuel....pretty sure it was all illegal but I know it was out there a couple years.
I think a modern day version of the "Girl Boat" would be more successful. Get ahold of a supply boat, paint it pink/silver and red. Have the boat designated a "Research Vessel", load it up with young working girls and "head" out to sea. Follow the big sport fishing tournaments around the Gulf and Caribbean. Anchor offshore from the marinas, just over the horizon, have your credit card bills read "Billy's Fresh Bait" and research how much money you could make. You could get Eliot Spitzer as an investment partner and hire Dave Vitter as your spokesman/frontman. :
Oil Rig Fish Camp 
