Hurricane Ida's extensive damage to Louisiana heliports and fuel depots is hampering the return of offshore production crews to U.S. Gulf of Mexico platforms, according to two people familiar with the matter, as reported by Reuters.
The helicopter companies that service offshore energy producers are struggling to get access to fuel in Louisiana, after many tank farms became unreachable because of damages to roads and power. That has cut the number of flights they are handling in a day, the people said on Thursday.
"We are trying to move the fuel first to Louisiana, then the staff," said an executive of an offshore oil producer. "On top of everything, staff is dealing with their personal issues, including losing houses and the lack of transportation to reach the base camps," the person said.
Many transport companies had moved their helicopter fleets to Texas to avoid damages ahead of the storm. But the hurricane knocked out pads in areas including Galliano and Houma.
U.S. Gulf Coast deepwater oil producers rely on helicopters as their primary means of ferrying staff to platforms that can be hundreds of miles offshore. Helicopters use jet fuel or aviation gasoline.