The Minerals Management Service reports that Hurricane Ivan did damage even to some legacy assets in the Gulf of Mexico. Five mobile offshore drilling units (MODU) were sent adrift. One MODU was found leaning some 3 degrees. Another MODU had extensive damage. Seven fixed platforms were destroyed, two additional platforms were extensively damaged, and one was leaning. Some of these platforms were in Main Pass, Viosco Knoll and Ship Shoal, and belonged to Noble Energy Inc. and Newfield Exploration Co. A rig derrick installed on a spar was missing. One platform rig derrick was seen leaning over the edge of the spar on which it was installed. Two additional spars had extensive damage. The Devils Tower deepwater spar, owned by Williams and Dominion, had topsides damage, and the platform is out of service until repaired. Thirteen pipeline leaks were reported, one resulting in a brief fire. Remington Oil and Gas Corp. reported there was damage to a subsea wellhead at West Cameron Block 457. Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc. reported that the Ocean Warwick jackup experienced damage to its legs and jacking units, and the Ocean Drake jackup may have to drill on another location. And, the mooring systems of two semisubmersibles-the Ocean Star and Ocean America-were damaged. The semisubs were expected to be down for up to three weeks. To put the damage in the Gulf of Mexico in context, there are 4,000 platforms in the area and 117 rigs were at work at the time of the hurricane, so relatively few sustained major damage, the MMS reports. -Petroleum Finance Week

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