Hurricane Isaac clears GoM, operators move to assess damage

Offshore staff

NEW ORLEANS –As the remains of Hurricane Isaac move farther onshore and the weather in the Gulf of Mexico returns toward normal, no reports of damage to offshore fixed platforms or mobile offshore drilling units are being reported. As workers return to active locations to bring production back onstream and to resume drilling, more definitive reports of the storm’s effects will be available.

The most recent statistics from the US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) indicate a total of almost 95% of oil production and 72% of the gas production in the GoM were shut in for the storm.

The effect of onshore power outages on offshore operations, however, remains an open question. Whether onshore facilities can receive production from offshore will depend in part on whether power is available and whether workers can reach the plants in the face of flooding from rain and storm surge.

8/30/2012