Natural Gas

All eyes are on the Gulf Coast now as Hurricane Gustav continues its relentless march across the Gulf of Mexico. But, even in the face of this monster storm, a miracle has taken place.

At any give day, according to the federal Minerals Management Service, there are about 25,000 men and women working offshore on the rigs and platforms that stretch across the Gulf or on the almost countless number of supply vessels that keep the energy industry fueled and running.

As Gustav began his deadly march towards the Gulf, the energy industry began a series of elegant and elaborate moves that saw thousands of these offshore workers moved without a single loss of life or serious injury.

There will be millions of words written over the next week days and weeks about Gustav and the impact it will have–as it should be. There will be talking heads on the nightly news describing what the economic impact will be — but no one should forget that a minor miracle occurred out there.

A small fleet of helicopters and boats began pulling workers off the rigs and platforms in a very deliberate and very-well ballet that energy companies prepare for all the time.

To all those involved in this miracle of logistics and movement, hats off for a job well done.

Stay tuned. More to come. The story of Hurricane Gustav is just beginning. The end of the beginning hasn’t even come yet. But it will.

–John A. Sullivan, News Editor, Oil and Gas Investor, www.OilandGasInvestor.com, jsullivan@hartenergy.com

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.