Shell, Chevron shut 6 US Gulf oil platforms: Update

Adds more details

Shell and Chevron each suspended production from three deepwater oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico after connecting pipelines were shut down because of a leak.

Shell's Mars, Ursa and Olympus assets, with a combined production capacity of about 210,000 b/d, have been shut in, the company said, when the Mars and Amberjack pipelines were shut down as a result of a flange leak at the Fourchon booster station in Louisiana.

"We are currently looking at alternative flow paths to connecting carriers," Shell said.

Chevron said its Jack/St. Malo, Tahiti, and Big Foot facilities, which connect to the Amberjack pipeline system, have also been halted. Jack/St. Malo produced about 57,000 b/d in 2020, while Big Foot has the capacity for up to 75,000 b/d.

The Greater Lafourche Port Commission said about two barrels spilled at the booster station.

"The reason for the spill was a flange that failed, which is now being fixed with the estimated timeline for repairs being about one day," said executive director Chett Chiasson.

By Stephen Cunningham