Storm damaged many offshore rigs, platforms
Analyst says it is still too early to gauge total impact of Katrina
Associated Press
Updated: 11:44 a.m. ET Sept. 2, 2005
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9172765/
Hurricane Katrina damaged or displaced an estimated 58 Gulf of Mexico oil
platforms and drilling rigs, according to the American Petroleum Institute.
Among those, 30 rigs and platforms have been reported lost. No company
breakdown was available, said Tim Sampson, an API spokesman.
One of the more significant reported losses of platforms or rigs came from
Houston-based Apache Corp. On Thursday, Apache said it lost eight platforms
that produce 7,158 barrels of oil and 12.1 million cubic feet of natural
gas per day.
That's about 10 percent of the lost oil production and 2 percent of the
shut in gas reported earlier this week, said company spokesman Bill Mintz.
Earlier in the week, Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc.'s Ocean Warwick was
found about 60 miles from its original position near Dauphin Island off the
coast of Alabama. A photo of the displaced rig found its way on Internet
sites and newspapers worldwide, creating one of many indelible images of
Katrina's strength.
Diamond also had another rig, Ocean Voyager, break from its moorings, but
tug boats were bringing it to shipyards for further assessment, said
company CFO Gary Krenek.
"We've boarded the rest of the rigs," Krenek said. "There is some minor
damage, but nothing near the extent as the Voyager or the Warwick."
Also, earlier in the week, Shell Oil Co. reported heavy topside flooding to
its Mars platform.
Sampson said even with these reports, it's still too early to gauge damage
in the Gulf.
"It could still be the end of next week before we get pipeline damage," he
said. "You still have to do things like pressure-test the lines."
================================
George Antunes, Political Science Dept
University of Houston; Houston, TX 77204
Voice: 713-743-3923 Fax: 713-743-3927
antunes at uh dot edu
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