Offshore oil and gas operators in the US Gulf of Mexico are resuming operations on platforms and rigs following Hurricane Laura, which struck southwestern Louisiana Aug. 27.
Based on data from offshore operator reports submitted to the US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement as of 11:30 CDT on Aug. 30, personnel remain evacuated from 137 production platforms, down from 299 on Aug. 26. The current number accounts for 21.3% of the 643 manned platforms in the US gulf.
BSEE estimates that 69.76% of current gulf crude oil production remains shut in, or 1,290,570 b/d, while 49.87% of natural gas production, or 1,351.55 MMcfd, remains shut in. From operator reports, BSEE estimated that 84.3% of Gulf of Mexico oil production and 60.1% of Gulf of Mexico natural gas production were shut in the day the storm made landfall.
Personnel remain evacuated from two of the 12 nondynamically positioned rigs working in the gulf. All dynamically positioned rigs have returned to their working locations.