Re: Storms destroyed 108 offshore platforms

I've been working the areas in question and would like to give a first
hand report.

The report *is* correct if not light on the estimates. I just returned
from sea on Oct 18th after a full month of servicing fields below Port
Fourchon and Morgan City known as "Ship Shoal". It is remarkable how
much damage was done with Rita making landfall over 150 miles west of
the area.

One angle not mentioned by the report is the fact that various ports
were totally put out of business. To repair the platforms and wellheads
offshore one needs boats and boats need ports to work out of. As it
stands right now, we have only two ports left. Morgan City is sort of
central coast while Port Fourchon is more to the east side of the oil
patch. The latter is now the largest. On an average day there are over
300 oil support vessels in port..all seeking fuel and potable water. My
boat, as an example, holds about 30k gallons of potable water with over
20k gallons of diesel. Multiply that by 300 and you get the demand
factor.

I couldn't begin to estimate the cargo tonnage factor. My vessel takes
around 100 long tons on her aft cargo deck..we leave port full after
each visit.

Point is: Its fucked up..big time. The damage is one thing..timely
repair is another. It will be the oil service sector that reaps the
gains from this hurricane season..the oil firms themselves, along with
their insurance companies will pay the tab. A tab that gets higher with
each passing day.

co jones

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