After Ida, US energy pipelines offline, damage being assessed

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A person walks on a flooded street after Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana, Kenner, Louisiana, United States, August 30, 2021. REUTERS / Marco Bello

Aug. 30 (Reuters) – Oil and gas pipeline operators checked for damage on Monday after Hurricane Ida hit major energy centers as a Category 4 storm on Sunday and caused widespread blackouts.

Enbridge (ENB.TO) said it was mobilizing teams to assess its facilities and said it was temporarily suspending some contacts in the event of force majeure on two offshore pipelines, according to the company and the shipper reviews.

Its pipelines were not functioning as offshore oil and gas production remained interrupted on the platforms it serves, a spokesperson said.

“Production remains closed at our offshore facilities; our onshore assets are operating,” the spokesperson said.

Force majeure contract suspensions were in effect for its Nautilus and Mississippi Canyon Gas Pipelines, according to the shippers’ notices.

“Enbridge is reviewing the status of its employees in areas affected by Hurricane Ida. There is currently no ETA on returning employees to inspect facilities,” the notices said.

About 95% of US Gulf of Mexico oil production and 94% of its natural gas production remained out of service on Monday, according to the offshore regulator the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. Refineries along the Gulf Coast have also halted or halted operations.

Energy Transfer (ET.N) said it was conducting post-hurricane assessments on its Stingray Pipeline and Sea Robin assets, which bring natural gas from the U.S. Gulf of Mexico to hubs in Louisiana, according to a shipper notice .

“Stingray will not accept nominations from any location, and operators are required to remain closed until Stingray has given permission for our flow,” the company said in a notice to shippers.

Sea Robin, which powers a compressor station in Erath, Louisiana, issued a similar notice to shippers, asking them to close to allow assessments after the hurricane.

Enterprise Products Partners (EPD.N) said on Monday that assessments are continuing at its facilities.

Reporting by Liz Hampton in Denver; edited by Barbara Lewis

Our Standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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