Gulf of Mexico energy production slowly coming back online

Posted by The Times-Picayune October 08, 2008 1:13PM

Nearly 44 percent of all Gulf of Mexico production remains shut down in the aftermath of hurricanes Ike and Gustav, the Minerals Management Service reported this afternoon. More than 38 percent of the Gulf's gas production also remains shuttered.

Over 12 percent of the platforms in the Gulf remain evacuated because of the storms, but all of the drilling rigs have been fully restaffed. Platforms are the offshore structures from which oil and natural gas are produced. Rigs are offshore drilling facilities.