Devon Returns Workers to Two Deepwater Gulf Rigs, Platforms

By Andres R. Martinez

Sept. 15 (Bloomberg) -- Devon Energy Corp., the biggest U.S. independent oil and natural-gas producer, returned some workers to two deepwater rigs in the Gulf of Mexico and platforms off the coast of Louisiana after Hurricane Ike.

Workers are beginning to return to the Ocean Endeavor and Baroness rigs, and the company is assessing when production in the Gulf might resume, Devon spokesman Chip Minty said in a telephone interview

``A lot of the questions about production are going to rely on the status of third-party infrastructure,'' he said.

Oklahoma City-based Devon is the largest of U.S. oil and natural-gas producers that don't also operate refineries or produce chemicals.

To contact the reporter on this story: Andres R. Martinez in Mexico City at amartinez28@bloomberg.net