Alabama turns old gas rig into two reefs, with one rising 632 feet from seafloor

Far below Alabama’s Gulf Coast, a structure that once belonged to the energy industry is beginning a second life beneath the waves. The decommissioned Spirit VK 780A natural gas rig, located offshore, has been transformed into two artificial reef sites, allowing its massive steel framework to remain part of the marine environment rather than being removed entirely, states an online report by the Outdoor Alabama website. The project adds two new sites to Alabama’s extensive artificial reef network and preserves a marine habitat that has been developing around the rig for decades.From gas platform to underwater habitatThe Spirit VK 780A was located roughly 60 nautical miles south of the Sand Island Lighthouse before being repurposed through an agreement between its former owner, APA Corporation, and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, states the report.