LOOP, the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port is located in the Gulf 20 miles south of Grand Isle, LA. It is not an oil rig as such it is an unloading point for supertankers. The platform is surrounded by several large mooring bouys that the supertankers tie up to and pump the oil by pipeline to the platform which then pumps the oil to refineries on shore.
It has been in operation constantly 24/7 365 unloading supertankers for 30 years without a major spill. On some days when I passed by it there are 3 supertankers unloading at the same time.
It is so critical to the US oil supply that boat traffic is not allowed within 1 mile of it. If you do happen to wander into the exclusion zone you will be escorted out by a heavly armed patrol boat. Every year the Navy SEALS pratice assaulting it in case it were ever captured by terriorist.
Louisiana Offshore Oil Port - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Between Alabama and Texas there are currently between 3000 and 4000 oil platforms. During hurricane Katrina there were no spills. The only sugnificant one happened several days after Katrina when a supply boat hit a piece of submerged debris from the storm that punctured it fuel tank.