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Emerald Project The Emerald Project was a very large natural gas discovery in May 2008, drilled in partnership with LLOG exploration. This photo shows the production platform for the Emerald project being constructed onshore. Once it is built, it will be towed out on barges to the Emerald location and installed on site. LLOG has expedited the construction of the Emerald production facility, and the project is currently scheduled to be online this winter, several months ahead of schedule. The Emerald platform will be capable of handling production of 100 million cubic feet of natural gas (plus associated oil) per day from multiple wells

Emerald Project This photo of the Emerald production facility being built onshore provides a particularly good sense of the platform’s massive scale. The lower deck will stand about 80 feet above sea level, with the total structure standing well over 100 feet above the ocean. The Emerald Project was a very large natural gas discovery in May 2008, drilled in partnership with LLOG exploration. This photo shows the production platform for the Emerald project being constructed onshore. Once it is built, it will be towed out on barges to the Emerald location and installed on site. LLOG has expedited the construction of the Emerald production facility, and the project is currently scheduled to be online this winter, several months ahead of schedule

Emerald Project This photo shows the production equipment that will be mounted on the Emerald production platform, once it is complete. This equipment is necessary to separate the gas, oil, and water that are produced from the well. In the background, you can see the “jacket” described in the previous photo

Emerald Project This photo shows the 3-pile “jacket” for the Emerald production platform being built on shore. The jacket is seen here laying on its side. The production platform is ultimately installed on top of this jacket, which acts as the underwater legs that support the platform. Once the jacket is complete, it is towed out to location and sunk to the Gulf floor so that is standing upright. The jacket is held in place by three massive pilings, which are pounded about 200 feet deep into the Gulf floor, fitting through the three jacket “sleeves”.

Vermilion 344 The 3-pile production platform at the Vermilion 344 Project, which is 50%-owned by Ridgewood Funds and 50%-owned by LLOG Exploration, the project’s operator. The lower deck on this platform stands 80 feet above sea level, and the highest platform—a helicopter pad—stands over 120 feet above sea level. Near the water line, you can see where the production platform is attached to the “jacket” (in yellow) which stands on the sea floor to support the production platform. The photos that follow show the installation of the jacket and the production platform

Vermilion 344 Here, we see several workers standing on the “jacket”, which has been installed. The jacket is held in place by massive pilings, which are pounded 200 hundred feet into the muddy floor of the Gulf. These workers are preparing the jacket to have the production platform installed onto it by crane (seen in a following photos).

Vermilion 344 The “jacket” is towed out to location on an enormous barge. In this night photo, we see the massive jacket (in yellow) on its side aboard the barge during transport. Once on location, the jacket is sunk to the gulf floor so that it is standing upright. It is held in place by massive pilings which are pounded 200 feet into the Gulf Floor through the 3 jacket “sleeves”. Then, the production platform, which has been built onshore, is installed on top of it.

Vermilion 344 After the “jacket” is securely in place, the production platform—which has been already constructed onshore—is towed out to location, lifted by crane, and secured on top of the jacket. Here, we see the massive production platform being lifted by crane off the barge and onto the jacket

West Cameron 75 Project – October 2007 An aerial photo of the Rowan Bob Keller rig drilling the discovery well on Ridgewood’s West Cameron 75 Project, operated by El Paso. West Cameron 75 was a major discovery in July 2007. The drilling deck of the drilling rig is cantilevered out over an existing El Paso-owned production platform (in yellow at left) from which the well was drilled. The ability to use existing nearby infrastructure enable this project to be brought on production more quickly and at a lower cost. To provide a sense of scale, the yellow object in the sky to the right of the red and white painted jack-up leg is a 14-seater Sikorsky helicopter carrying Bob Swanson, Ridgewood Energy’s founder, president, and CEO, along with 10 financial advisors who took a due diligence trip offshore to visit this project. The photo was taken by Matt Swanson, Vice President of Ridgewood Energy, from another helicopter carrying 5 more financial advisors who made the offshore trip. Photo taken October 2007.

West Cameron 75 Project – October 2007 Two roughnecks from the Rowan Bob Keller rig drilling the discovery well on the West Cameron 75 Project, operated by El Paso. At the moment this photo was taken, the drill string was at a depth of approximately 18,500 feet, near the top of a deep gas reservoir discovered at approximately 19,000 feet. Photo taken October 2007.

West Cameron 75 Project – October 2007 Ridgewood’s Bob Swanson (Ridgewood founder, President, and CEO, located 7th from right), Matt Swanson (Vice President, located 5th from right), and Ron Hall (rightmost) with a group of financial advisors during an offshore due diligence trip to the West Cameron 75 Project. Here, the group has assembled aboard the helipad of Rowan’s Bob Keller jack-up rig while it is drilling the discovery well on West Cameron 75. Photo taken October 2007.

West Cameron 75 Project – October 2007 Bob Swanson, Ridgewood Energy’s Founder, President, and CEO, talking to a group of financial advisors during an offshore due diligence trip to the West Cameron 75 Project. The group is standing on the drill deck of the Rowan Bob Keller jack-up rig while it is drilling the discovery well on West Cameron 75. Photo taken October 2007.

West Cameron 76 Project – October 2007 A jack-up drilling rig performing re-completion work on the A1 well on the West Cameron 76 Project, operated by BHP Billiton. Over the past 15 years, this one well (the first of 10 drilled on the West Cameron 76 field) has produced approximately 35 billion cubic feet of natural gas and 180,000 barrels of oil. This re-completion work is expected to allow the well to continue to produce for several years to come. For a sense of scale, the top of the drilling tower is approximately the height of a 30-story building. The lower decks of the production platforms (in yellow) are 80 feet above sea level, and the crew/supply boat is approximately 60 feet long. Photo taken October 2007.

West Cameron 76 Project - August 2005 Ridgewood’s 10-well West Cameron 76 Project, operated by BHP Billiton, was the largest natural gas discovery in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico in the 1990s. A 1991 discovery, the project has produced 54 million barrels of oil equivalent to date and is still on production after 16 years. For a sense of scale, the supply boat, moored to the right production platform, is approximately 60 feet long. Photo taken August 2005.

West Cameron 76 Project - August 2003 Ridgewood’s 2-platform, 10-well West Cameron 76 Project, operated by BHP Billiton, was the largest natural gas discovery in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico in the 1990s. In this photo, a small jack-up work-over platform is on site performing re-completion work on a well. A 1991 discovery, the field has produced 54 million barrels of oil equivalent to date and is still on production after 16 years. For a sense of scale, lower decks of the platforms are about 80 feet above the water and the crew/supply boat, moored to the right production platform, is approximately 60 feet long. Photo taken August 2003.

West Cameron 556 Project – August 2005 Ridgewood’s West Cameron 556 Project, a 2005 discovery operated by ATP Oil and Gas. This photo depicts the Rowan “Gorilla II” jack-up rig drilling the discovery well on West Cameron 556. The drilling deck of the jack-up rig is cantilevered over an existing production platform. Like many Ridgewood Energy projects, West Cameron 556 was able to use existing infrastructure, allowing it to be brought on production quickly after is was a discovery. Photo taken August 2005.

West Cameron 556 Project – August 2005 Ridgewood’s Bob Swanson, (Ridgewood founder, President, and CEO, located fifth from left), Matt Swanson (Vice President, leftmost), and Bill Shea (National Accounts Manager, located third from right) with a group of financial advisors on an offshore due diligence trip to the West Cameron 556 Project, a 2005 discovery operated by ATP Oil and Gas. Here, the group has assembled on the helipad of the Rowan “Gorilla II” rig, which is drilling the discovery well on the project. Photo taken August 2005.

West Cameron 77/96 Project and West Cameron 77 “Mustang” Project – August 2005 In the foreground, Ridgewood’s West Cameron 77/96 Project, a 2004 discovery on which there are currently 2 producing wells (operated by McMoRan, formerly Newfield). In the background, a jack-up rig drilling the discovery well on the West Cameron 77 “Mustang” Project, a 2005 discovery (operated by BHP Billiton). Photo taken August 2005.

West Cameron 77/96 Project – August 2005 Ridgewood’s West Cameron 77/96 Project, a 2004 discovery on which there are currently 2 producing wells (operated by McMoRan, formerly Newfield). For a sense of scale, the lower deck of the production platform is 80 feet above the water level. Photo taken August 2005.

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