HURRICANE KATRINA: Air Force Moves 190 Tons of Supplies

The Air Force had moved more than 190 tons of relief supplies and support equipment, along with almost 200 passengers and 54 medical patients as of Sept. 1, American Forces Press Service said today.

The effort included the 105-member "Red Horse" engineer team from Hurlburt Field, Fla., which is lending its expertise in disaster recovery of facilities and infrastructure to the response effort.

In addition, Air Force combat controllers and a medical team were working to reopen New Orleans International Airport, a critical air transport hub, Air Force officials said. The 621st Contingency Response Wing from McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., was tackling the task of establishing bare-base airfield operations.

In Lafayette, La., the 615th Contingency Response Wing, from Travis Air Force Base, Calif., was working to reopen the regional airfield as a potential staging area for incoming cargo and troops, Air Force officials reported.

A U-2 surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft from Beale Air Force Base, Calif., flew over the region to take high-resolution photos to help FEMA assist with disaster-relief efforts.

The media processing facility at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, the only U.S. government facility dedicated to processing and duplicating U-2 imagery, is processing the imagery, Air Force officials said.

The Guard presence in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida jumped to 15,000 troops today, a number National Guard Bureau officials confirmed will double in the days ahead.

These troops are assisting law-enforcement agencies with traffic control and security, transporting and distributing food, water and ice, conducting searches and rescues, providing generator support, and carrying out other missions to protect life and property, National Guard Bureau officials said.

More than 320,000 National Guard soldiers and airmen from every state, as well as their equipment, are available to support emergency operations if needed, thanks to formal agreements between state governors, officials said.

HURRICANE KATRINA: Cyber Defense Systems Offers UAVs for Use in Disaster Recovery, Patrols

Cyber Defense Systems, an operating subsidiary of Proxity Inc., today announced it is offering the company's UAVs to patrol areas hit by Hurricane Katrina.

Cyber is offering assistance to FEMA, Louisiana National Guard, New Orleans Police Department and the New Orleans Homeland Defense department.

The UAVs could be used to identify those in need of assistance, secure safe locations, help identify looting and provide persistent surveillance to these areas, Cyber Defense said.

In addition to helping in rescue efforts, UAVs could also be used in the effort to control looting. With the UAV's providing surveillance, police officers would then be able to spend more time and energy towards evacuations and rescues, the company said.

"We have offered local, state and federal officials the use of our UAVs to help monitor and survey the damage done by Hurricane Katrina," said Billy Robinson, CEO of Cyber Defense Systems. "Our hearts go out to the people throughout the nation that have been affected by the Hurricane and we will do whatever we can as a company to assist in relief efforts."

New Orleans is the home office of Proxity.

HURRICANE KATRINA: Nova Engineering Providing Free Mobile Routers to Relief Agencies

Nova Engineering is providing NovaRoam Mobile Routers free of charge to aid in the current Hurricane Katrina emergency response and relief efforts spearheaded by FEMA and the American Red Cross

NovaRoam's mesh networked solution provides real-time Internet Protocol data communications for rescue and relief workers in areas where critical telecommunications infrastructure has been debilitated or destroyed.

Each NovaRoam, deployable in a vehicle or a fixed location, is able to communicate with its peers in a several-mile radius, resulting in a peer-to-peer network capable of supporting high-speed data communications between remote emergency workers.

Still images, text, and other forms of data could be quickly transmitted from emergency crews to operational centers to help facilitate swift, well-informed decision making, the company said.

HURRICANE KATRINA: Meridian Resource Reports Heavy Damage to Biloxi Marshland Operations, Expects Repairs Within 20 to 60 Days

The Meridian Resource Corporation today said it has conducted onsite aerial inspections of all of its production platforms and production facilities to assess damage from the storm.

The eye of Hurricane Katrina passed directly over Meridian's operations in the Biloxi Marshland area, where the company has numerous well platforms and four main production facilities. These facilities were shut-in prior to the arrival of the storm, and remain shut-in pending actual onsite inspections.

From initial aerial inspections, a major portion of the BML well platforms and production facilities sustained heavy damage, the company said, all of which will require varying degrees of repair prior to re-instating production.

Preliminary assessments indicate that production facilities in the Ramos area, Turtle Bayou area and Gibson area sustained little or no damage, but were shut-in for approximately four days. These fields were placed back online and are producing at approximately the same pre-storm levels.

Production from the Weeks Island area was not affected by the storm. Offshore operations are primarily operated by third-party working interest partners who have reported no damage and expect to return each to its pre-storm levels.

Meridian said it has developed a plan for the repair of all the affected production platforms and has mobilized the equipment and crews to the field. Crews will address those facilities with the largest amount of production first, which, based only on initial estimates, would return those wells to production within approximately the next 20 days.

Meridian has not conducted any inspections of pipelines and other downstream assets owned by third parties, but has not been advised by those companies that there exist any impediments to Meridians production being brought online as soon as each of the production facilities are repaired, the company said.

Operations summary:

-- Production from Ramos, Weeks Island, Turtle Bayou & Gibson back online

-- Production from BML (approximately 50% of daily production), scheduled for immediate repair operations; mobilization underway; repair times ranging from 20 to 60 days

-- Parker Rig #51: Drilling at 15,700 feet for Cib Op & Rob L formation targets

-- Coastal Rig #20: Damage uncertain, will repair, move to String of Pearls prospect area

-- Parker Rig #57B: Schedule to up right rig is uncertain -- SL 16049 Workover Rig: Back on location, continue operations to workover well and restore production

-- Avoca 6-1 & 5-2: Continue construction of pipeline and facilities, expected to go online within next 30 days

-- Bayou Gentilly: Continue construction of pipeline and facilities, expected to go online within next 30 days

HURRICANE KATRINA: Maritrans Reports No Damage to Vessels

Maritrans Inc., a U.S. flag marine petroleum transportation company, today said that after a brief interruption at the height of the storm, all of its vessels are operating at pre-storm utilization levels and that there was no physical damage to its fleet or injury to the crews aboard the vessels.

The company estimates that it lost approximately 22 vessel operating days to Katrina-related delays. For those areas that have been impacted by Katrina, such as the refineries in Louisiana and Mississippi, Maritrans is currently loading at alternative ports to meet its customers' needs.

In anticipation of Katrina, Maritrans either positioned its vessels in the western Gulf of Mexico or kept the vessels in port, which reduced any potential for impact from the hurricane.

"During this challenging time, our thoughts are with all those impacted by Hurricane Katrina and the tremendous human toll caused by the storm. We are relieved that there were no injuries to our crew and are working to contact crew members who live in the affected areas and who were not aboard a vessel during the storm," Jonathan Whitworth, chief executive officer of Maritrans, said. "So far, we have successfully contacted nearly all of these individuals and are pleased to have learned of their safety. We hope to make contact shortly with the very few who do not yet have phone accessibility."

Maritrans Inc., with 16 units, is the largest fleet in its size category and one of the largest serving the U.S. coastwise trade. The fleet consists of five oil tankers and 11 oceangoing married tug/barge units with an aggregate fleet capacity of approximately 3.9 million barrels, of which 63 percent is double-hulled. Maritrans is headquartered in Tampa, Fla., and maintains an office in the Philadelphia area.

HURRICANE KATRINA: McMoRan Exploration Reports No Major Damage

McMoRan Exploration Co. today said initial assessments of its exploration and development operations, production facilities and the Main Pass Energy Hub platforms indicate no apparent major damage.

Production has been or will be restored imminently on all production facilities with the exception of oil production at Main Pass 299, which will be restored as soon as practicable following completion of what currently appears to be minor repairs, the company said.

"While our operations appear not to have incurred major damages, Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath have stricken our community with a disaster of almost unimaginable proportions, brought pain to the lives of everyone in the metropolitan New Orleans area and tragedy to the communities throughout our region. Our thoughts and support go out to all affected by this tragic event as we seek to rebuild our community," said James R. Moffett and Richard C. Adkerson, co-chairmen of McMoRan.

McMoRan is engaged in exploratory activities on the following prospects, West Cameron Block 43, JB Mountain Deep at South Marsh Island Block 224, Cane Ridge at Louisiana State Lease 18055, and Long Point at Louisiana State Lease 18090, and two development wells, King King No. 2 at Vermilion Blocks 16/17 and Hurricane No. 2 at South Marsh Island Block 217.

Rigs on location suffered no significant damage and are currently drilling.

McMoRan Exploration Co. is an independent public company engaged in the exploration, development and production of oil and natural gas offshore in the Gulf of Mexico and onshore in the Gulf Coast area.

HURRICANE KATRINA: Metretek Technologies Reports Damage to Offices in New Orleans

Metretek Technologies Inc. today said that its Southern Flow subsidiary has reported minor damage from Hurricane Katrina to its Belle Chasse division offices located in the New Orleans metro area.

All Belle Chase Division employees have been accounted for and the company said it is actively pursuing efforts to assist those employees that have experienced personal losses and hardship.

The Belle Chasse division provides services to customers with production facilities that were in the direct path of Hurricane Katrina. The company said it is in the process of assessing the effects, both short- and long-term, on its operations that may occur as a result of customers curtailing services pending repair of damaged production facilities.

Based on currently available information, and with the expectation that normal operations in this division will be restored by early 2006, the company believes that the effect of Hurricane Katrina on its consolidated operations will not be significant.

Metretek Technologies through its subsidiaries -- Southern Flow Companies Inc.; PowerSecure, Inc.; and Metretek, Incorporated (Metretek Florida) -- is a diversified provider of energy measurement products, services and data management systems to industrial and commercial users and suppliers of natural gas and electricity.

HURRICANE KATRINA: Lockheed Establishes Hurricane Katrina Employee Assistance Fund

Lockheed Martin today said it has established the Lockheed Martin Hurricane Katrina Employee Assistance Fund and has made an initial $1 million contribution.

The contribution is in addition to one Lockheed Martin made earlier in the week to the American Red Cross Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund.

In addition, Lockheed said it will ensure that employees and any reservists and guardsmen who are called to active duty in support of the recovery effort receive their full pay and benefits.

"The people of Lockheed Martin have always responded to tragedy as a family -- with compassion, generosity and resilience," said Lockheed Martin Chairman, President and CEO Robert J. Stevens. "This situation is no different. Together, we will help restore the lives and communities so devastated by this unprecedented event."

HURRICANE KATRINA: Customs Officers Heading to Disaster Area

Approximately 250 U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers are heading to the areas devasted by Hurricane Katrina in response to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Director Michael Brown's plea for Department Homeland Security volunteers.

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) deployed the officers.

"It is total devastation in New Orleans, Biloxi, and other cities that were hit," AFGE National Homeland Security Council President Charles Showalter said. "This nation has to band together and do anything and everything we can to help our fellow Americans."

HURRICANE KATRINA: Gulf South Continues to Operate Natural Gas Pipeline System

Gulf South Pipeline continues to operate its natural gas pipeline system and is meeting the natural gas delivery needs of its customers in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, the company said today.

However, Gulf South's shippers have reduced levels of their gas supply delivered into the pipeline in the directly affected areas. In addition, some of Gulf South's customers in southern Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama have reduced gas consumption or have temporarily shut down facilities to assess the operational status of their facilities.

Gulf South continues to assess its pipeline system to identify and remedy any immediate safety or operational issues. At this time, no significant safety or operational issues have been identified.

Gulf South is also in communication with its employees and customers throughout the Gulf Coast area impacted by Katrina and its aftermath and is working to assist them in addressing their immediate needs.

Gulf South Pipeline owns and operates one of the largest interstate natural gas pipeline systems in the Gulf Coast region and provides critical links to many major markets nationwide. The company's pipeline system is comprised of approximately 7,600 miles of pipeline with 30 compressor stations, numerous pipeline interconnects, and two natural storage facilities.

HURRICANE KATRINA: ENSCO Inspecting Drilling Rigs, No Significant Damage

ENSCO International today said it continues to make progress inspecting its Gulf of Mexico drilling rigs. Company personnel have re-boarded all rigs except one platform rig, and several rigs have resumed normal drilling operations.

Based on initial on-site assessments, none of the company's jackup rigs appear to have sustained any significant damage.

The company's deepwater semisubmersible rig, ENSCO 7500, has returned to its pre-storm drilling location and preparations are underway to resume drilling operations. As previously reported, platform rig ENSCO 29 sustained significant damage as a consequence of the storm. ENSCO is working with its customer to assess the extent of damage and to determine appropriate remedial action.