Storms destroyed 108 offshore platforms

[f5]

here the link you guys been screaming about


http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u ... erior_dc_5


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A total of 108 low producing oil and natural gas offshore platforms were destroyed by hurricanes Rita and Katrina and some of the other 53 heavily damaged platforms could be offline until next year, the U.S. Interior Department said on Tuesday.

ADVERTISEMENT

The destroyed platforms likely will not be rebuilt, Interior Secretary Gale Norton told reporters, adding that repairing damage elsewhere would run into the "billions of dollars."

In a briefing on the damage done by the hurricanes, the department also said that 90 percent of crude oil production in the Gulf of Mexico is still shut-in and 72 percent of offshore natural gas production is still offline.

Norton said the destroyed platforms account for about 1.7 percent of oil output in the Gulf of Mexico and 0.9 percent of natural gas production.

Repairs to platforms with major damage could run into next year, while restaffing unmanned rigs that escaped damage so they can operate again could take another 10 days, she said.

"Major repairs may take months and some facilities into next year," Norton told reporters. Some 50 platforms were damaged by the two hurricanes.

Restoring production to platforms with minor damage could take several more weeks, she said.

Johnnie Burton, the head of the Interior Department's Minerals Management Service, said that 30 percent of offshore oil and gas production may be shut-in because of damage to onshore oil refineries and natural gas processing plants.

A dozen oil refineries and 21 gas processing plants remain offline after the hurricanes.

Norton added the department will not know for several more weeks exactly how much shut Gulf production is due to damaged facilities onshore and how much damaged offshore platforms and underwater pipelines are at fault.

Burton said the damage done to underwater pipelines by the two hurricanes was not as severe as the damage done from underwater mudslides caused by Hurricane Ivan last year.

Some 342 offshore platforms are still evacuated after the hurricanes plowed through the heart of oil and gas producing region, she added.

The Interior Department and U.S. Coast Guard are investigating why Chevron Corp.'s (NYSE:CVX - news) Typhoon tension leg platform capsized, while similar platforms remained intact, Burton said.

"There's no reason to think that the wind was strong enough to capsize it," Burton said, speculating that another rig could have collided with the Typhoon platform, which had produced 40,000 barrels per day of crude oil.

The MMS is focusing on methods of anchoring offshore drilling rigs to the sea floor, after 19 rigs slipped from their moorings during Katrina and Rita and dragged their anchors, possibly damaging underwater pipelines.

Regulators and industry will meet on November 17 to discuss the issue, Norton said.

Katrina churned through the Gulf of Mexico with winds of over 155 mph before striking the Louisiana and Mississippi coasts on August 29. Rita hit the Texas-Louisiana border on September 24 with winds of 120 mph

[chrisnnavarre]

"The MMS is focusing on methods of anchoring offshore drilling rigs to the sea floor, after 19 rigs slipped from their moorings during Katrina and Rita and dragged their anchors, possibly damaging underwater pipelines."

Gee, makes one wonder why so many people in Florida don't want drilling near their coastal waters. Considering this is going to be maybe a ten year natural cycle, maybe we should just go ahead give in and destroy the Florida tourist industry since New Orleans and the Casinos in Mississippi are gone. There just isn't any reason we shouldn't be suffering like everyone else along the Gulf Coast.

[wxmann_91]

Do you have the link?

[artist]

that reminds me- saw in the paper this weekend that they were trying to include off the coast here also in the bill to open up Alaska! I sure hope not. I would not be a happy camper! It is one thing in the wilderness - another just 3 miles out from shore.

[Comanche]

Most of you have absolutely no idea of how high your winter utility bills are going to be because of this, I promise you it will shock you. To help alleviate the problem and save a little off your bill, EVERYONE NEEDS TO REDUCE THEIR ENERGY CONSUMPTION STARTING RIGHT NOW. Turn back your thermostat if even only 2 degrees, you really won't notice it and it will reduce your bill from 6%-10% depending on your efficiency rating and tell everyone you know, it is very important to do this to be able to get through this winter with the reduced supply from the gulf. This year we all need to work together to conserve and hopefully avoid another financial crisis. (If you live in the Northeast, your current natural gas price for January is $22.00 MMBtu)

[jasons2k]

that reminds me- saw in the paper this weekend that they were trying to include off the coast here also in the bill to open up Alaska! I sure hope not. I would not be a happy camper! It is one thing in the wilderness - another just 3 miles out from shore.

I'm all for protecting the environment and the wilderness myself, but let's put things into perspective. The exploration and production area would affect only about 2,000 acres. That is an area about one-sixth the size of Dulles Airport near Washington, D.C., and about 0.01 percent of the total area of ANWR. That's barely a spec on a map. And the drilling technolgies they are planning to implement are extremely clean. So for me, that's a pretty good trade-off if we can significantly reduce the demand for foreign oil.

[artist]

I don't think i made myself clear - thought and typed too fast!
It does not bother me in the Alaskan wilderness as I believe we really need it, but off shore Florida I just don't want to see that happen.

[jasons2k]

OK, sorry for the misunderstanding. I don't want to see drilling off FL myself.

[artist]

that's ok - as I said -when i re-read it I saw where I didn't make myself clear. Glad this subject came up - we all really need to let our reps know we do not want drilling off FL> It was supposed to be brought forward for something in the house on Monday - wish I had kept the story. Knew I had something I wanted to keep in that paper but couldn't remember for the life of me and threw it away anyway!

[jasons2k]

Have you checked for it online? Most major papers have archives. Some you have to pay for, but many let you search for the last 7 or 30 days or so for free.

[artist]

good idea! thanks!

[artist]

and here it is! Good news - seems they dropped it from the Bill!!

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nation ... 6272.story


upon reading further it seems we better keep our eye out though - it may get reintroduced at a later time.