BSEE Harvey update: Personnel returned to evacuated rigs

Offshore oil and gas operators in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) are reboarding drilling rigs and platforms and restoring normal operations following Tropical Storm Harvey. The US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) Hurricane Response Team continues to monitor the industry’s activities as they return to safe operations. Oil and gas operators continue to assess their facilities and are required to submit damage reports to BSEE. As of 4 September, no damage reports had been received.

Based on the data from offshore operator reports submitted as of 11:30 CDT on 4 September, personnel remain evacuated from a total of 14 production platforms, which represents 1.97% of the 737 manned platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. Production platforms are the structures located offshore from which oil and natural gas are produced.

Personnel have returned to all five of the previously evacuated rigs, all non-dynamically positioned (DP) rigs, which represented 50% of the total number of rigs operating in the GOM. None of the 21 DP rigs currently operating in the GOM moved off location out of the storm’s path.

As part of their evacuation process, operators activate applicable shut-in procedures, which can often be accomplished from a remote location. This involves closing the subsurface safety valves located below the surface of the ocean floor to prevent the release of oil or gas. During previous hurricane seasons, the shut-in valves functioned 100% of the time, efficiently shutting in production from wells on the Outer Continental Shelf and protecting the marine and coastal environments. Shutting-in oil and gas production is a standard procedure conducted by industry for safety and environmental reasons.

From Gulf of Mexico operator reports, BSEE estimates that approximately 6.94% of the current oil production of 1.75 million bbl/day in the GOM remains shut-in, which equates to 121,484 bbl/day. BSEE also estimates that about 8.05% of the natural gas production of 3,220 million cu ft per day (mmcfd), or 259.19 mmcfd, remains shut-in. Shut-in production information included in this report is based on the amount of oil and gas the operator expected to produce that day. The shut-in production figures, therefore, are estimates, which BSEE compares with historical production reports to ensure estimate consistency.

Since the storm has passed, operators have begun inspecting facilities and resuming production. Once all standard checks have been completed, production from undamaged facilities is brought back online immediately. Facilities sustaining any damage may take longer to bring back online.

This survey information is reflective of 17 companies’ reports as of 11:30 a.m. CDT on 4 September. 

Gulf of Mexico daily curtailed production-Hurricane Harvey