HOUSTON – Enbridge (NYSE: ENB), the Energy pipeline operator, has pulled employees from several offshore U.S. Gulf of Mexico platforms, the company told customers, as Tropical Storm Francine advanced toward a landfall in Louisiana.
Francine has shut-in oil and gas production at offshore platforms operated by Chevron (NYSE: CVX), Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM), and Shell (NYSE: SHEL). Later on Tuesday, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement will release the first official measure of the storm’s impact on U.S. energy production.
Enbridge, which manages an extensive network of offshore pipelines funneling oil and gas to onshore plants, evacuated staff from three offshore platforms. Operations are continuing at each using remote operators, it said in notices to customers.
Staff were removed from South Marsh Island 76, Ship Shoal 207, and 332 platforms, the customer notices said. South Marsh Island 76 connects a 1 billion cubic feet per day natural gas offshore pipeline.
Enbridge (NYSE: ENB) informed customers that the Manta Ray Gas Gathering system declared force majeure at its Green Canyon 158 Brutus receipt point and stopped receiving natural gas.
Force majeure is a provision that allows a contract to be suspended due to unforeseen events. The receipt point would be returned to service once the company can replace a malfunctioning valve, Enbridge said.
(Source: ReutersReuters)
