Lake Pontchartrain mystifies, marvels, beckons, and teases anglers, but this is the month when she’s usually most generous.
Dear Capt. Paul:
Can you give me the coordinates for the Sandy Point rigs?
Thanks,
redadele1
Capt. Paul’s Response:
Sandy Point is located along the shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico between Red Pass and Bay Coquette. It is south of Bay Tambour and Sandy Point Bay in Plaquemines Parish. The present position for the point is at or about N29 13.026 x W89 28.971.
If you are fishing the area, there is a series of about 28 oil and gas platforms (some are only 8-foot-by-8-foot “Christmas tree” platforms) just offshore in the Gulf of Mexico between the Empire rock jetty and Sandy Point. They are in 15 to 30 feet of water. These structures are commonly called the Sandy Point Rigs.
The center of the area, about a 3-mile diameter circle, is about 5.5 miles from the Empire Jetty at a bearing of 135 degrees, about 26 miles at a bearing of 116 degrees out of Grand Isle, and about 4 miles, at a bearing of 236 degrees from Sandy Point.
The closest platform to the Empire Jetty is MX-WD 24-4. It is at or about N29 12.538 x W89 32.375. It is about 4.9 miles from the red No. 2 Aid to Navigation (ATON) at the jetty.
Near the above platform, there is a “flare” platform, MX-WD 24-FLARE No. 1. It is at or about N29 11.962 x W89 32.172.
The southernmost of the series of platforms, MX-WD 24-5D, is at or about N29 10.707 x W89 32.044.
The easternmost of the series, MX-WD 192-8, is at or about N29 11.451 x W89 30.411.
Two of the most popular locations are near the southwest section of the group.
MX-WD 23-3 is located 5.2 miles at a bearing of 159 degrees from ATON Red No. 2, and is at or about N29 10.524 x W89 34.559.
The other, MX-WD 23-FLARE No. 3, is at or about N29 10.489 x W89 33.099, and is about 6.2 miles at a bearing of 146 degrees from Red No. 2 ATON.
The all-time favorite in the area is referred to as the Green Monster, WD-23-3 CMP, which is located at or about N29 10.525 x W89 34.560.
All of these features may be viewed on NOAA charts 11358-Barataria Bay and Approaches and 11361-Mississippi River Delta.
Unless otherwise specified, all positions are stated as H,DDD,MM.mmm and were determined using WGS 84 DATUM. All headings/bearings/courses are stated in magnetic degrees, and are shown in statute miles.
Dear Capt. Paul:
When I was a kid, the oldtimers used to fish a place called the Salt Dome. I think it is located around the Horseshoe Rigs or maybe even in the center of the horseshoe.
Would you possibly have the coordinates, or have you even heard of them?
Thanks for your time and effort,
Kevin
Capt. Paul’s response:
If the Horseshoe Rigs you are speaking about are a series of seven platforms that resemble a horseshoe with the open end facing south, and they are located in Main Pass 305 and 306, then I may have some information on the dome that you are asking about.
The northernmost of these Horseshoe platforms is located at or about N29 13.742 x W88 33.758.
The southwestern-most platform is located at or about N29 11.853 x W88 35.007, and the southeastern-most of the platforms is at or about N29 11.650 x W88 33.326.
From the beginning of the entrance channel to South Pass of the Mississippi River at Aid to Navigation (ATON) buoy RED NUN marked R No. 2, which is located at or about N28 58.695 x W89 06.518, the southwestern-most platform is about 35.3 miles at 64 degrees.
I mention these platforms because they are placed around a salient rise in the seabed. This rise is only 32 fathoms (192 feet deep), whereas the rest of the seabed to the south and southeast is 90 to 107 fathoms deep. These domes in the seabed have long been known to be a sign of deep petroleum deposits, and it seems obvious that is why the rigs are there.
This rise may be the location of your “Salt Dome.” I checked the area on Maptech’s Contour 3D Chart for that area, and located what may be your salt dome. The part of the rise that is most prominent is between the two southernmost platforms, and is at or around N29 11.988 x W88 34.267.
If you would send me your email address, I would be happy to send you both the chart and 3D images of the area.
By the way, this site is about 30 miles at a bearing of 109 degrees from Ram-Powell.
The Ram Powell (VK-956A) site is in about 3,200 feet of water. It is at or about N29 03.640 x W88 05.505. It is about 62.2 miles at a bearing of 85 degrees from the ATON red No. 2 buoy bell located at the southeastern end of the South Pass channel of the Mississippi River.
I suggest that you get a copy of at least three NOAA Marine charts prior to making the trip.
Begin with Chart No. 11361–Miss River Delta, and then 1115A–Leased Blocks, Cape St. George to the Mississippi River and Chart No. 11366-Approaches to the Mississippi River.
They will show all of the wells, and allow you to plot your courses around the numerous production platforms in the area.
Unless otherwise specified, all positions are stated as H,DDD,MM.mmm, and were determined using WGS 84 DATUM. All headings/bearings/courses are in statute miles, and stated in magnetic degrees.
Get back with me if you want those contour and chart images.
Capt. Paul Titus is Louisiana Sportsman’s resident GPS expert. If you’ve got a question for him, ask it at www.lasmag.com, and he’ll do his best to get you an answer.
