CALGARY (CP) -- Energy company Nexen Inc. said Friday that its Gulf of Mexico production facilities sustained only minor damage to from hurricane Katrina.
''We were very fortunate,'' said Charlie Fischer, Nexen's president and chief executive officer after an initial inspection.
The company said the rig drilling the Pathfinder well and the one contracted to drill Aspen-5 were damaged during the storm. Those wells have been delayed.
Nexen had evacuated all its employed from the area before the storm hit last weekend.
Production has since resumed at Gunnison and most of Nexen's fields in the Vermillion and Eugene Island areas.
Nexen said it expects to have approximately two thirds of its volume back on stream some time this weekend, and it anticipates being back to full rates by the end of next week.
Drilling has also resumed at its Castleton and Knotty Head rigs.
Nexen shares [TSX:NXY] were up 37 cents to C$52.88 in afternoon trading on the Toronto Exchange.
(c) The Canadian Press 2005
