Repair of the storm damaged rigs and platforms in the Gulf of Mexico after Rita continue at a very slow pace. Within a week after Katrina about a half of the shut-in (shut down) production had returned. That production was then stopped again for Rita. It is now over three weeks past Rita and production has still not returned to even the levels of post Katrina repair. At current rates of progress we would be looking at at least 6 more weeks before all of lost production would be repaired. But the Katrina example demonstrated that the easy repairs are made first followed by a very slow pace of repairs there after. We could be looking at a full or nearly full return happening in 3 to 6 months. (Data from
Minerals Management Service)(Cross Post
SoapBlox/Chicago)