Shell Exploration & Production Co. said Tuesday that it will have to shut down its Mars tension leg platform again for about two weeks starting Nov. 4 to permanently replace flexjoints on its Mississippi Canyon oil and natural gas pipelines in the Gulf of Mexico.

The company decided to make temporary repairs to both the oil and gas lines while the flexjoints were refurbished. Although the flexjoints should be ready for installation in September, the company will delay the operation until early November for logistical reasons.

“We feel that the weather conditions at that time will be more conducive to efficiently and safely completing the operations,” said Frank Glaviano, Gulf of Mexico east asset manager.

The hurricane season is starting to have an impact on Shell’s operations in the Gulf of Mexico this week. Tropical Storm Bonnie forced Shell to evacuate 500 non-essential Gulf personnel on Tuesday. Shell said it has shut in 49,000 bbl/d of oil production and 80 MMcf/d of natural gas production. It also shut two sub-sea wells, the Crosby and the Princess, which are near the Ursa field.

At 10 a.m. CDT Tuesday, Bonnie was about 350 miles south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River, moving northeast at 8 mph with maximum sustained winds near 60 mph. Although Bonnie is a small storm with tropical storm force winds extending out only 30 miles from the center, the National Hurricane Center said it expects the storm to gain strength and move northeast through the eastern Gulf of Mexico, making landfall on the Florida panhandle by Thursday morning.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Charley is moving through the Caribbean and headed toward the Gulf. At 11 a.m. AST, Charley was about 350 miles south-southeast of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, moving west-northwest at 24 mph with maximum sustained winds near 45 mph. The NHC said some strengthening is expected over the next 24 hours. Tropical storm force winds extend 105 miles out from the center of the storm.

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