Hurricane Gustav leaves Port Fourchon crippled
No electricity expected at key oil facility for weeks Friday, September 05, 2008
byr)[615]>From staff reports Times-Picayune Sept 5.2008 nola.com
Three days after Hurricane Gustav made landfall, more than 95 percent of Gulf of Mexico oil production is still shuttered and a key hub for the offshore petroleum industry remains without power.
Gustav slammed into Port Fourchon, a hub used by more than 60 companies to service Gulf rigs and platforms, before coming ashore in Cocodrie on Monday. Port Fourchon also houses the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port, a facility that receives about 12 percent of the nation's oil imports.
Director Ted Falgout said Thursday that Port Fourchon may not be able to receive power for four to six weeks. He also said storm sediment and stones displaced from a jetty may leave one of the port's channels impassable for as long as a week.
Meanwhile, the energy sector is beginning to reoccupy its facilities in the Gulf of Mexico, although the bulk of oil and gas production remains shut down. More than 87 percent of the Gulf's natural gas production remained shut down on Thursday, down from 92 percent on Wednesday. More than 95 percent of Gulf oil production remained shut down on Thursday, the same amount as Wednesday. [/quote]
As of Thursday, 73 percent of the platforms in the Gulf and 52 percent of the rigs in the Gulf remained evacuated. Platforms are the offshore structures from which oil and natural gas are produced. Rigs are offshore drilling facilities.
Oil and natural gas driller Ensco International said Thursday that it is continuing to return workers to rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. A company spokesman said a flyover had revealed no damage to the rigs.
Diamond Offshore Drilling said it planned to return most workers to rigs by Friday, and that normal drilling operations will restart a few days later. [quote]
This coud be a problem.
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