Energy

Angelle Tapped to Brief President Bush on Hurricane Gustav Energy Issues

Gov. Bobby Jindal tapped Louisiana Department of Natural Resources Secretary Scott Angelle to brief President George W. Bush on energy issues during Bush’s visit to Baton Rouge on Sept. 3 in the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav.

Gustav washed ashore in Louisiana on Sept. 1 as a Category 2 hurricane, passing through some of the heart of the nation’s offshore oil and gas production area before blasting into Louisiana.

About 34 percent of the nation’s natural gas supply and more than 29 percent of the nation’s crude oil supply moves through the state.

Less than 48 hours after the storm, Bush visited the state’s Unified Command Group, stationed in the operations center of the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness in Baton Rouge.

Angelle gave Bush a personal briefing on the state of the energy industry during the visit.

Angelle worked with the federal government in the immediate wake of the storm to help the oil and gas industry get power restored and fuel flowing out of refineries and to help facilitate the release of resources from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to help energy companies continue to supply fuel.

The Department is working now with the oil and gas industry now to assess the damage done by Gustav to oil and gas production infrastructure in the state.

“President Bush recognizes the key role the state plays in fueling the nation and I wanted to make sure he knows where the state and the industry stand after the storm and what needs still have to be addressed,” Angelle said.

Angelle said the Department and the industry are working to help each other in bringing the energy production needed by the state and nation back on line.

“Louisiana is proud of its long and distinguished history of fueling America,” Angelle told Bush.

Bush also shared with Angelle that he had personal experience in Louisiana’s energy industry, having worked in the oilfields of Lake Arthur in southwest Louisiana.

“He knows the issues of the oil industry,” Angelle said of Bush.