Energy companies have started returning workers to offshore oil and gas production platforms in the wake of Tropical Storm Lee, but weather conditions continue to slow efforts.
BP, the largest producer in the Gulf, said offshore conditions are improving steadily but high wind gusts are still limiting many helicopter flights out of Louisiana. Vessels leaving Port Fourchon, a key supply hub for the Gulf, are also continuing to experience rough seas, BP said in a statement.
BP expects to begin returning crews to offshore facilities Tuesday morning.
Shell, the No. 2 producer is continuing to redeploy personnel to its Western Gulf operations, while production remains shut-in at many of the Central Gulf sites.
“Once power and communications are restored, marine logistics support is established and the locations are deemed safe, personnel will then return to the platforms,” Shell said in a statement.
The Woodlands-based Anadarko Petroleum said it had safely remanned and restarted production at its Western Gulf of Mexico facilities, namely Nansen, Boomvang and Gunnison.
“We are continuing to monitor the weather conditions and expect to begin returning workers to Constitution, Marco Polo, Independence Hub, Neptune and Red Hawk as soon as weather permits,” Anadarko said in a statement.
Chevron and Exxon are also remanning offshore facilities.
Officials with the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port, aka the LOOP, said rough seas continued to prevent tankers from docking at the facility as well.
As of Monday 61 percent of oil production and 46 percent of natural gas production in the Gulf remained shut-in due to the storm, according to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement.
Workers were still evacuated from 232 of the 617 manned production platforms in the Gulf and 24 of the 70 manned drilling rigs, BOEMRE said.
About 30 percent of U.S. oil production and 12 percent of natural gas production come from the Gulf of Mexico, according to BOEMRE. About 30 percent of natural gas processing capacity and 40 percent of refining capacity is located along the Gulf Coast.
