Gulf platform resumes petroleum production after repair work

The Associated Press

Shell Oil Co.’s deepwater Mars platform in the Gulf of Mexico resumed production of oil and natural gas June 28 after about five weeks of repairs, the company said.

Shell closed production on May 22 after workers discovered a pipeline leak that released a few gallons of crude oil into the water.

During an inspection, workers found that a natural gas line also showed signs of deterioration, thus forcing a longer delay in starting production, Shell said. The gas pipeline did not leak, the company said.

Shell said it would take two to three days to reach full production of 150,000 gallons of crude oil and 170 million cubic feet of natural gas per day.

The platform is about 130 miles southeast of New Orleans.