After the long and destructive Atlantic hurricane season of 2020, I think we are all a bit more anxious than normal as we approach the peak of this year's storm season.
Louisianans everywhere are stocking up on storm supplies and reviewing our evacuation plans, and we hope and pray the 2021 hurricane season will be much kinder to our state.
We aren't the only ones who are extremely vigilant this time of year. Louisiana's oil and natural gas operators are also on high alert, ready to implement comprehensive hurricane preparation and response plans when a storm threatens the Gulf Coast.
For industry, developing storm preparation and response plans is not a quick task done at the start of hurricane season. Rather, it is a thorough, year-round process focused on the safety of the thousands of Louisianans who produce American energy and securing critical American energy infrastructure offshore and onshore.
According to the EIA, federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico account for 17 percent of domestic crude oil and 5 percent of natural gas production. Additionally, the Gulf Coast region accounts for over 45 percent of U.S. refining capacity. Louisiana's 17 refineries along the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans and in the Lake Charles area alone account for 20 percent of the nation's refinery operations. EIA also estimates that half of the gasoline consumed on the East Coast and a quarter of the crude oil refined in the Midwest originates from the Gulf Coast.
Just one tropical storm or hurricane in the Gulf can put a strain on oil and natural gas operations. Storms of any size and strength can disrupt our nation's energy supply at a time when the demand for oil and gas might be at its highest.
That's why Louisiana's oil and natural gas industry takes great care in developing detailed hurricane preparedness, evacuation, and response plans for offshore and onshore drilling rigs, production platforms, pipelines, storage terminals and refineries before storms ever enter the Gulf.
Days before a storm is predicted to impact offshore drilling or production facilities, for example, operators begin to shut down activity, secure those facilities, and evacuate personnel in stages by boat and helicopter. Rigs that can be moved are relocated out of the storm's path and drillships may be moved to a safe location, as well. Producing wells are "shut in" by safety valves located below the ocean floor.
Once the storm has passed, operators may conduct flights over offshore facilities to determine if there is any visible damage from the air, and assessment teams conduct extensive on-site inspections. Once the offshore structure is deemed safe, employees return to the drilling and production facilities to restart operations. This entire process could take a few days or a few weeks, depending on the severity of the storm and its impacts, much like our return to our homes and communities.
After a storm, the safe and speedy resumption of petroleum refining operations and transportation also helps to fuel recovery operations. LMOGA and our industry partners work closely with state and federal emergency officials, local emergency managers, transporters of fuel, local retail service stations and others to make sure consumers have access to the fuel they need to return home and begin cleanup.
Industry constantly updates its emergency preparedness procedures year-round, and planning meetings are held with local, state and federal government agencies before and after every hurricane season. These efforts protect employees and nearby residents, minimize impacts to facilities and the environment, and reduce recovery time, allowing operations to resume safely and quickly once the threat has passed in order to provide the energy our state and nation need.
Louisiana's energy industry is prepared to protect its workers, the environment and critical energy facilities should any hurricane or tropical storm threaten us in the months ahead. Here at LMOGA, we also urge you to have a plan in place to keep your family safe as the peak of hurricane season approaches.
For more information about LMOGA and its work to protect and grow Louisiana’s oil and gas industry, visit www.lmoga.com or call (225) 387-3205.
