by: OilOnline
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Penn Virginia Corporation has reported the operational impact from Hurricane Katrina on the Company's operations in Mississippi and south Louisiana. As a precaution, on August 28, the day before the arrival of Katrina, approximately 13.6 million cubic feet equivalent (Mmcfe) per day, or approximately 17 percent of the Company's total daily production, was shut in. As of September 6, all but approximately 2.9 Mmcfe per day had been turned back in line. The preliminary estimated impact on Penn Virginia's production is expected to be a reduction of 100 to 150 Mmcfe, or less than one percent of the latest 2005 production guidance provided by the Company.
In Mississippi, the Company's Baxterville and Maxie fields in Marion, Lamar and Forrest counties were shut in. Daily net production from these fields was approximately 10.7 Mmcfe prior to Katrina. Damage to these fields was minor. At this time only the Maxie field, comprising approximately 0.5 Mmcfe per day, remains shut in due to scarcity of fuel needed by third party well maintenance contractors. The Company expects the Maxie field to be back in line by September 11. The Company's production in the Gwinville field in Jefferson Davis County was not materially affected by the hurricane.
In south Louisiana, the Company's non-operated Stella field in Plaquemines Parish, which was making approximately 2.4 Mmcfe per day net to the Company prior to Katrina, has been shut in since August 28. The operator of this field has not been able to completely evaluate the extent of damage, if any, due to lack of access to the field. The Company estimates that it will be a few weeks before production in this field resumes. Production from the Company's remaining fields in south Louisiana, all of which are outside operated, is believed to have been only minimally affected by the hurricane.
In addition to the production disruption, three drilling rigs in Mississippi discontinued operations as a result of the hurricane. Two rigs in the Gwinville field and a rig in the Baxterville field resumed drilling on September 7. This interruption should not impact completion of the Company's projected 85 well Mississippi drilling program.
Tuesday, September 6, 2005
9/7/2005 9:59 AM
By: Associated Press
(SHELBY) - As the world reaches out to help victims of Hurricane Katrina, one North Carolina county is adopting an entire town.
Residents and government officials from Cleveland County have sent aid to Laurel, Mississippi, where about 60 to 65 percent of the homes and businesses were destroyed.
Massive trees in the town have been cracked in half, snapping utility lines and destroying homes, many in the city's historic district. At least a dozen storm-related deaths have been reported in the town of about 19-thousand.
Shelby resident Ron Schaeffer came up with the adoption idea.
He, Shelby Mayor Ted Alexander and Cleveland County commissioner Ronnie Hawkins traveled to Laurel for a few days then helped organize help when they returned.
And locals responded.
A group of 35 to 40 volunteers left last week for Laurel, armed with supplies and skills to help them rebuild.
Mississippi town reining in looters
By Brian Livingston LAUREL LEADER-CALL (LAUREL, Miss.)
It didn't take long for what Laurel Police Department Chief Marvin Lindsey described as "thugs" to take advantage of the terrible situation Hurricane Katrina had created when she cut a swath of destruction through Jones County and Laurel . There isn't any fear the lawlessness seen in New Orleans will occur here but the more Lindsey talked of the incidents his officers had to respond too shortly after the wind had subsided, the more he became incensed at the people looting homes and businesses.
"We were having some problems with roving bands of teenagers and thugs going through the neighborhoods since the hurricane came through," Lindsey said. "It was out of hand because we were trying to maintain order with all the destruction around us. It was impeding our ability to do our jobs. But things have calmed down considerably since then."
But, Lindsey said, that doesn't mean there isn't a problem in Laurel.
"They are still out there," he said. "We still don't have power to many homes and businesses in Laurel and that leaves them vulnerable."
The arrival of Mississippi Army National Guardsmen will help bolster the law enforcement power in Laurel. Lindsey said a number of those soldiers would be deployed in the role of keeping the looting to an absolute minimum.
"The guardsmen are going to help us stop this," said Lindsey. "We have isolated the problem areas and we have suspicions of who is responsible. This will be dealt with very, very soon."
Lindsey was pleased that the majority of crimes committed since Katrina hasn't escalated into aggravated assaults or murder saying, "We haven't had those problems, thankfully. No one has been injured due to lawlessness as a result of the storm. Let's keep it that way."
One of the ways to ensure no one is injured is to stay at home whenever possible, Lindsey said. It does no one any good to drive around when the gas situation is deteriorating so rapidly. In addition, Lindsey said residents need to not wander the streets until the power and debris problems are rectified.
"Stay close to home and out of the way of disaster crews," Lindsey said. "Let them, and let us as law enforcement officials, have the room to do the job that needs to be completed. The sooner people realize that the better off we'll all be."
Many of the concerns Lindsey expressed were situations the Jones County Sheriff's Office deputies haven't had to face. Sheriff Larry Dykes had said earlier while the storm plunged the county into darkness Monday, the roadways were so clogged in a large majority of places, potential looting couldn't occur. That's not to say there haven't been isolated cases.
"Very isolated and since the roads have opened we still haven't had that many, if any," Dykes said. "For the most part the people of Jones County realize the situation the situation they are in and they are trying to work through it as best as they can."
Just in case a rash of looting does suddenly raise its ugly head, Dykes said after a conversation with Jones County District Attorney Tony Buckley that the full extent of the law would be brought down on anyone charged with looting.
"There is a special statute of Mississippi law that pertains to looting during a natural disaster," said LPD Asst. Chief Eddy Ingram.
"Basically it just doubles everything and makes it a felony offense.
You don't want to get caught doing this sort of thing, I assure you."
Having seen much of the plight of the residents in the county, Dykes, like many county officials, urged the people to remain patient.
"We've done real well so far," he said. "Although we have a long ways to go, we have a long ways to go, we are making progress every day.
We just need to keep our heads about us."