US offshore production still idled after Ida
Most of the offshore oil and gas production in the US waters of the Gulf of Mexico remained offline still because of the response to Hurricane Ida, the government said August 31.
Ida made landfall in Louisiana on Sunday as a category 4 hurricane, knocking out power for area residents, as well as for the dense network of refineries along the US Gulf Coast.
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Early this week, Shell said it resumed operations at a floating production unit situated in the Gulf of Mexico, though much of the offshore output remains offline.
The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) reported that, as of August 31, about 94% of both crude oil and natural gas production was still idled. BSEE explained that operators are busy inspecting any potential damage to their offshore installations.
“Once all standard checks have been completed, production from undamaged facilities will be brought back online immediately,” it said.
Tropical Depression Kate and Tropical Storm Larry are both active in the waters of the Atlantic. Kate is forecast to remain at sea, while Larry is expected to approach the Caribbean Islands as a major hurricane early next week.
A weather pattern in the Gulf of Mexico, meanwhile, has a 30% chance of evolving to a cyclone within the next 48 hours, according to the latest forecast from the US National Hurricane Center.