VOA双语新闻 Some Oil, Gas Facilities

Several oil and gas facilities in the Gulf¹ of Mexico have resumed operations following Hurricane Katrina. However, an industry analyst² says the full extent of damage to generating facilities is still unknown.

美国墨西哥湾地区的几个炼油厂在卡特里娜飓风过后，已经恢复生产。不过这个行业的一位分析人士说，炼油设施到底遭到多大破坏目前还不清楚。

Jim Flanagan of IHS Energy says the story of Hurricane Katrina is still unfolding. He says there's a lack of published reports by energy companies about damage done to their offshore³ facilities.

美国IHS能源咨询公司的弗拉纳根说，卡特里娜飓风的破坏还没有结束。他说，能源公司还没有公布近海设施遭受破坏的报告。

"I think it has a lot to do with, number one, some of the on-shore staging areas have been pretty much devastated," said Mr. Flanagan. "So, it's difficult to get transportation to and from some of these platforms. I think there's 819 manned platforms and 140 or so manned rigs offshore that all need to be checked out. And so there's a big run on transportation equipment and personnel to go out and check on all these facilities. And it's just taking a long time."

他说：“我想其中有很多原因。首先，一些海岸地区受灾严重，很难前往这些海上钻井平台。我想，那里总共有819座有人操纵的钻台和大约140个有人操纵的机械设备有待检查。到那里去检查所有的设备需要大量的交通设施和人员，这需要很长的时间。”

He says following previous hurricanes, the energy industry was quick to release reports on the damage their facilities sustained.

弗拉纳根说，以往在飓风过后，能源行业都能很快地公布损失报告。

IHS Energy is an energy consulting company headquartered in Engelwood, Colorado.

IHS能源咨询公司的总部设在科罗拉多州的恩格尔伍德。

One indication of how bad things may be is a photograph of a toppled Shell Oil platform, which produced 40,000 barrels of oil a day and about 150 million cubic feet of natural gas. Mr. Flanagan says multiply those losses by today's commodity prices and you get an idea of how much money Shell is losing on just that one rig.

从壳牌石油公司一座倒塌的钻井平台的照片上可以看出损失的严重性。这座平台每天生产4万桶石油和1亿5千万立方英尺的天然气。弗拉纳根说，把这些数字乘上今天的石油和天然气价格，你就知道壳牌石油公司仅仅在一座平台上的损失了。

The regional manager of IHS Energy's Frontier Gulf of Mexico Group points out that not all the damage to energy facilities occurred offshore.

IHS能源咨询公司墨西哥湾集团的地区负责人弗拉纳根指出，能源行业受到的破坏还不仅限于海上设施。

"The biggest story seems to be what's happened to the onshore infrastructure⁴," he explained. "Natural gas processing plants are flooded. Refineries⁵ are flooded. So, even if you could turn on all the different production platforms we have in the Gulf of Mexico, you wouldn't be able to do so because the onshore infrastructure still needs to be repaired."

他说：“最大的损失可能是岸上的设施，天然气加工厂被洪水淹没，炼油厂也被淹没。所以即使墨西哥湾的所有海上平台恢复生产，那也无济于事，因为那些岸上的设施也需要修理。”

What's more, Mr. Flanagan says Hurricane Katrina has also affected⁶ oil and gas industry workers. So, it's unclear how many are available to help with repairs. "As far as I've been in this business, this is the worst I've seen things," he added.

弗拉纳根说，另外卡特里娜飓风还影响到石油和天然气工人的生活，现在还不清楚有多少人可以参与修复工作。弗拉纳根说：“这是我进入这个行业以来所看到的最严重的损失。”

The Bush Administration is trying to ease soaring gas and oil prices by tapping into the strategic oil reserves. However, Mr. Flanagan is not sure how quickly and to what extent this will have an effect.

布什政府正在调动战略储备石油来缓和高涨的汽油价格，不过弗拉纳根表示，这种方法要多久才能产生效果，效果有多大，目前还不能确定。

"It's a reserve of oil that is held in a salt dome⁷ in Louisiana. But it's been filled up over the course of years and it could have upwards⁸ of 700 or 800 million barrels of oil in it. I'm not sure how quickly it can be withdrawn⁹ and I don't know how quickly it can pump it out, but I think it is a major deposit that the government can go to," he noted¹⁰.

他说：“战略储备石油储藏在路易斯安那州一个盐丘油仓，不过那是经过很多年才灌进去的，那里有7到8亿桶的石油，我不知道要多久才能把油抽出来。不过我想这是政府可以动用的主要储备。”

Mr. Flanagan says Hurricane Katrina has shown just how dependent the United States is on oil and gas and the importance of supplies in the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf makes up about 25 percent of oil and gas production in the country, not counting Alaska.

弗拉纳根说，卡特里娜飓风显示，美国是多么地依赖石油和天然气，墨西哥湾的石油生产有多重要。墨西哥湾的石油和天然气产量占阿拉斯加之外的美国总产量的25%。

"Another thing the country will have to come to grips with is trying to decide whether or not it's possible to develop other reserves in other parts of the Gulf of Mexico," said Mr. Flanagan. "The whole east of the Gulf of Mexico has basically been off-line from leasing for quite a long time. And just now people are beginning to wonder if it's time to actually go out there and at least do an assessment¹¹ of what might be available for drilling."

弗拉纳根说：“通过这件事，美国应该决定是否有可能在墨西哥湾的其他地区建设石油储备设施。长久以来，墨西哥湾东部地区基本上没有开发。现在人们开始考虑，是否应该到那里去看看，至少对那里开采石油的可能性做出评估。”

Such moves, however, could bring angry reaction from environmentalists and others, who say they fear possible oil spills.

不过这样做可能会引起环境保护主义者和其他人士的不满，他们担心可能会发生漏油事件。
 

1 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

2 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

3 offshore   

adj.海面的，吹向海面的；adv.向海面

参考例句：

• A big program of oil exploration has begun offshore.一个大规模的石油勘探计划正在近海展开。
• A gentle current carried them slowly offshore.和缓的潮流慢慢地把他们带离了海岸。

4 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

5 refineries   

精炼厂( refinery的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The efforts on closedown and suspension of small sugar refineries, small saccharin refineries and small paper mills are also being carried out in steps. 关停小糖厂、小糖精厂、小造纸厂的工作也已逐步展开。
• Hence the sitting of refineries is at a distance from population centres. 所以，炼油厂的厂址总在远离人口集中的地方。

6 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

7 dome   

n.圆屋顶，拱顶

参考例句：

• The dome was supported by white marble columns.圆顶由白色大理石柱支撑着。
• They formed the dome with the tree's branches.他们用树枝搭成圆屋顶。

8 upwards   

adv.向上，在更高处...以上

参考例句：

• The trend of prices is still upwards.物价的趋向是仍在上涨。
• The smoke rose straight upwards.烟一直向上升。

9 withdrawn   

vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出

参考例句：

• Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
• All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。

10 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

11 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？