Sunday, November 8, 2009

Hurricane Ida


(click here for updated Ida path)
This has been a very mild hurricane season for US Gulf Coast oil and gas production and refineries. Until yesterday there were no shut ins of production or refinery ouput due to hurricanes in 2009. Hurricane season ends on the last day of November and so Hurricane Ida is relatively late in the season. Ida is passing through an area in which oil and gas is produced and refined, which is why some companies are taking precautionary action.

Update: Monday Nov. 9th, 6:25pm. The US MMS says 384,642 barrels of oil production and 1.925 BCFD natural gas production shut in by Ida. This is roughly one quarter of US Gulf Coast offshore production.

Assuming no damage and that staff are back on platforms by Tuesday afternoon, it is likely that output will be shut down for a total of 2-3 days production. 

Click on the link here to see an amazingly detailed NASA image of the storm.