Nearly 30% of US Gulf of Mexico oil output offline

Houston — Nearly 30% of US Gulf of Mexico crude oil production and 41% of its natural gas production remained offline on Saturday after Hurricane Francine, the US offshore energy regulator said.

Francine churned through prime oil and gas-producing areas in the Gulf of Mexico and slammed into Louisiana with up to 161km/h winds. The midweek storm toppled trees, flooded coastal areas and knocked out power across four states. There were 37,000 customers in Louisiana without power on Saturday.

A survey of energy producers showed more than 522,000 barrels of oil production and 755-million cubic feet of natural gas remained offline on Saturday, the US bureau of safety and environmental enforcement said.

Cumulative offshore production losses this week due to Francine total 1.82-million barrels of crude oil and 4.12-billion cubic feet of natural gas, according to the bureau’s estimates.

There were 52 oil and gas platforms unmanned by energy workers on Saturday, about 14% of the total, down from 171 evacuated offshore platforms at peak earlier in the week, the offshore regulator said.

Two of Chevron’s platforms were operating at reduced rates due to an onshore gas plant disruption, the company said on Saturday. Full production at the two — Jack/St Malo and Big Foot — would resume after the onshore disruption is resolved, it said.

Chevron did not identify the operator of the gas plant.

The second-largest US oil producer said it was continuing to return workers and restore oil production at its Anchor and Tahiti platforms that were shut-in ahead of hurricane Francine. Initial assessments show neither suffered significant damages, Chevron said.

Reuters