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Energy Production Not Yet Recovered After Hurricane Hits Gulf of Mexico

Posted on: Sunday, 18 September 2005, 09:00 CDT

Energy production not yet recovered after hurricane hits Gulf of Mexico

NEW ORLEANS, the United States, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- US federal officials said Friday that it will take at least another month for oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico to reach 85 percent of its pre-hurricane levels.

At the peak of Hurricane Katrina on Aug. 30, 95 percent of daily oil production and 88 percent of daily gas production in the Gulf of Mexico were shut down.

Today, those numbers stand at 56.14 percent of oil production, and 34.11 percent of natural gas production, said the Minerals Management Service (MMS), a US Interior Ministry agency managing offshore energy and minerals.

Looking at the total impact of the storm, including the damage to offshore platforms, pipelines and onshore facilities, Johnnie Burton, MMS director, said that she did not expect oil or gas production to rise above 90 percent of pre-Hurricane Katrina levels for at least three months.

The major hindrances to restoration of energy resources have been damage to onshore infrastructure, such as refineries, processing plants and pipelines; difficult and intermittent communications in the Gulf region; and the shortage of helicopters, boats, divers and power, the MMS said.

Source: Xinhua News Agency - CEIS

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