Shell resumes some production at Brutus in Gulf of Mexico

May 17, 2016
Shell Exploration & Production Co. and the US Coast Guard agreed to conclude skimming operations in their joint response to an estimated oil discharge of 2,100 bbl from a subsea flow line at Glider field in the Gulf of Mexico off Louisiana, Shell E&P said May 16.

Shell Exploration & Production Co. and the US Coast Guard agreed to conclude skimming operations in their joint response to an estimated oil discharge of 2,100 bbl from a subsea flow line at Glider field in the Gulf of Mexico off Louisiana, Shell E&P said May 16.

The nearby Brutus tension-leg platform has resumed production from Shell’s direct vertical access wells. But Glider and other subsea fields remain shut-in. Some 150 people worked on the response using five recovery vessels for skimming (OGJ Online, May 13, 2016).

Shell and the USCG recovered an estimated 2,012 bbl of an oil-water mixture. One vessel remained in the area to assess potential environmental consequences. No oil reached the coast.

The US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement approved Shell’s plans to remove and secure the damaged segment of the subsea flow line at Glider, and work is under way. BSEE is leading the investigation of the incident. There have been no reported injuries throughout the response.