batch_auto_20260713 202607131256465730 BOEM ESP geoESPIS ESPIS@boem.gov Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Empirical Analysis of the OCS Pipeline Network in the Gulf of Mexico Center for Energy Studies Louisiana State University This study examined the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) pipeline construction industry and empirical data describing pipeline activity levels, correlations among pipeline activity and system attributes, and construction and decommissioning costs. Background information on flow assurance, field development, and pipeline routing describes the primary factors that impact the quantity and types of installed pipeline in the region. The offshore construction service industry was reviewed and the basic techniques used in pipeline installation and vessel fleets are described. Pipelay contractors, business models, strategies and risk factors in the sector were outlined. The regulatory framework governing Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and gas pipelines was described, and the determination of tariff rates for regulated gas pipelines was illustrated. GOM pipeline construction and decommissioning costs were evaluated using public data sources. The study included an empirical review of pipeline activity data and the development of correlations to consolidate activity trends. 100508 U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Environmental Studies Program https://doi.org/10.13039/100012475 M14AC00024 10.67297/9A1D54 https://boem.gov/awardpages/100052