GoM rigs to be inspected after Barry

Thirty-nine Gulf of Mexico offshore oil and gas companies evacuated their platforms and rigs in response to Tropical Storm/Hurricane Barry last weekend, according to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). Based on BSEE survey data released July 15, offshore operator reports submitted as of 11:30 a.m. (CDT), personnel were evacuated from a total of 267 production platforms - 39.91 percent of the 669 GoM manned platforms. BSEE’s Hurricane Response Team is monitoring those activities. The team will continue to work with offshore operators, states and federal agencies until operations return to normal, after the storm is no longer a threat to oil and gas activities. As part of the evacuation process, personnel activate applicable shut-in procedures, which can frequently be accomplished remotely. It involves closing the sub-surface safety valves located below the surface of the ocean floor to prevent the release of oil or gas. Shutting-in oil and gas production is a standard procedure conducted by industry for safety and environmental reasons. From those operator reports, BSEE estimated about 69.08 percent of the current oil production in the GoM was shut-in, which equates to 1.3M barrels a day. It also estimated that about 60.5 percent of natural gas production (1.684M cubic feet per day) was shut-in. After the storm has past, facilities will be inspected. Once all standard checks are completed, production from undamaged facilities will be brought back on line. Facilities sustaining damage will likely make longer. (Source: Work Boat 07/15/19)