Shell Exploration & Production said it resumed production from its Mars tension leg platform in Mississippi Canyon 807 in the Gulf of Mexico last Monday following completion of repairs to the flexjoints on both its oil and natural gas export lines. The platform is currently pumping down the process vessels, and production is expected to reach its pre shut-in rate of 150,000 bbl/d of oil and 170 MMcf/d of gas within two to three days.

“We are very pleased that Mars production has been restored,” said Frank Glaviano, Gulf of Mexico East Asset Manager. “This was a very complicated and intense recovery operation, but through the cooperation and hard work by Shell staff, our partner, BP, and our key contractors, we were able to make the repairs safely, cleanly and without undue delay.”

Shell said it replaced the flexjoint on its gas line and made a temporary repair to the oil line to allow production to safely resume until the flexjoints could be refurbished. It is anticipated that there will be a seven-day shut-in later in the summer when the refurbished flexjoints will be installed.

The platform initially was shut down on May 22 after workers noticed a sheen of oil on the water and then discovered damage to the oil pipeline flexjoint (see NGI, May 31). During a more recent inspection of the natural gas line, which was part of the process Shell implemented to ensure that its facility was ready for start up, signs of deterioration to the flexjoint on the gas export pipeline also were observed.

Inspections of flexjoints at other Shell-operated TLPs have found the condition of those joints to be adequate for continued safe and efficient operation, the company said on Monday. Analysis of the flexjoint failure at Mars continues at the Oil States facilities in Arlington, TX.

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