A meter measuring barrels of oil sold is seen aboard Chevron's Petronius oil platform, located 100 miles (161km) off the coast of New Orleans, in the Gulf of Mexico on June 3, 2008. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi (UNITED STATES) 

The Petronius oil platform is seen from the air, located 100 miles (161 km) off the coast of New Orleans in the Gulf of Mexico June 3, 2008. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi (UNITED STATES) 

A worker walks along Chevron's Petronius oil platform, located 100 miles (161 km) off the coast of New Orleans, in the Gulf of Mexico June 3, 2008. Petronius produces 27,000 barrels of oil per day and 28 million cubic feet of gas per day. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi (UNITED STATES) 

Workers repair a pump aboard Chevron's Petronius oil platform, located 100 miles (161 km) off the coast of New Orleans, in the Gulf of Mexico June 3, 2008. Petronius produces 27,000 barrels of oil per day and 28 million cubic feet of gas per day. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi (UNITED STATES) 

A Chevron worker climbs into the lifeboat to check that each member is harnessed in correctly, aboard Chevron's Petronius oil platform located 100 miles (161 km) off the coast of New Orleans, in the Gulf of Mexico June 3, 2008. A power supply card failed causing the entire facility to shut down momentarily as fire teams deployed and assessed that there was no danger on board. The lifeboats were not deployed. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi (UNITED STATES) 

Workers in a glass encased smoking area watch television during their break aboard Chevron's Petronius oil platform, loacted 100 miles (161 km) off the coast of New Orleans, in the Gulf of Mexico June 3, 2008. Petronius produces 27,000 barrels of oil per day and 28 million cubic feet of gas per day. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi (UNITED STATES) 

Eddie Davis reaches for a cigarette lighter in the designated smoking area aboard Chevron's Petronius oil platform, located 100 miles (161 km) off the coast of New Orleans, in the Gulf of Mexico June 3, 2008. Petronius produces 27,000 barrels of oil per day and 28 million cubic feet of gas per day. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi (UNITED STATES) 

A worker adjusts a cable in the well bay of Chevron's Petronius oil platform, located 100 miles (161 km) off the coast of New Orleans, in the Gulf of Mexico June 3, 2008. Well heads are used to send a mixture of oil, water and gas to a separation system. Petronius produces 27,000 barrels of oil per day and 28 million cubic feet of gas per day. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi (UNITED STATES) 

A gas pipeline is seen aboard Chevron's Petronius oil platform, located 100 miles (161 km) off the coast of New Orleans, in the Gulf of Mexico June 3, 2008. Petronius produces 27,000 barrels of oil per day and 28 million cubic feet of gas per day. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi (UNITED STATES) 

A well head used to send a mixture of oil, water and gas to the separation system is seen against the grate and ocean below Chevron's Petronius oil platform, located 100 miles (161 km) off the coast of New Orleans in the Gulf of Mexico June 3, 2008. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi (UNITED STATES) 

Workers return to their posts aboard Chevron's Petronius oil platform, located 100 miles (161 km) off the coast of New Orleans, in the Gulf of Mexico June 3, 2008. Petronius produces 27,000 barrels of oil per day and 28 million cubic feet of gas per day. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi (UNITED STATES) 

An engineer keeps an eye on a computer monitoring Chevron's Petronius oil platform, located 100 miles (161 km) off the coast of New Orleans, in the Gulf of Mexico June 3, 2008. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi (UNITED STATES) 

A worker draws a sample from a mixture of oil and water being pumped from an underwater oil well aboard Chevron's Petronius oil platform, located 100 miles (161 km) off the coast of New Orleans, in the Gulf of Mexico June 3, 2008. Samples are taken to determine the water cut, the exact amount of water mixed in with the oil being drawn from the well. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi (UNITED STATES) 

Visitors make their way to a helicopter as they depart Chevron's Petronius oil platform, located 100 miles (161 km) off the coast of New Orleans, in the Gulf of Mexico June 3, 2008. Petronius produces 27,000 barrels of oil per day and 28 million cubic feet of gas per day. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi (UNITED STATES) 

Chevron workers strap themselves into harnesses inside a lifeboat as a fire alarm goes off aboard Chevron's Petronius oil platform, located 100 miles (161 km) off the coast of New Orleans, in the Gulf of Mexico June 3, 2008. A power supply card failed causing the entire facility to shut down momentarily as fire teams deployed and assessed that there was no danger on board. The lifeboats were not deployed. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi (UNITED STATES) 

A worker arrives by helicopter to Chevron's Petronius oil platform, located 100 miles (161 km) off the coast of New Orleans, in the Gulf of Mexico June 3, 2008. People who work aboard the platform usually do so in two week rotations, working two weeks on and two weeks off year round. Petronius produces 27,000 barrels of oil a day and 28 million cubic feet of gas per day. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi (UNITED STATES) 

A meter measuring barrels of oil sold is seen aboard Chevron's Petronius oil platform, located 100 miles (161 km) off the coast of New Orleans, in the Gulf of Mexico on June 3, 2008. Petronius produces 27,000 barrels of oil a day and 28 million cubic feet of gas per day. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi (UNITED STATES) 

Men in construction hats are seen aboard Chevron's Petronius oil platform, located 100 miles (161 km) off the coast of New Orleans, in the Gulf of Mexico June 3, 2008. Petronius produces 27,000 barrels of oil per day and 28 million cubic feet of gas per day. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi (UNITED STATES) 

Employees help each other with the seat belts inside a lifeboat aboard Chevron's Petronius oil platform, located 100 miles (161 km) off the coast of New Orleans, in the Gulf of Mexico June 3, 2008. A power supply card failed causing the entire facility to shut down momentarily as fire teams deployed and assessed that there was no danger on board. The lifeboats were not deployed. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi (UNITED STATES) 

A worker looks up as a second fire alarm goes off aboard Chevron's Petronius oil platform, located 100 miles (161 km) off the coast of New Orleans, in the Gulf of Mexico June 3, 2008. Petronius produces 27,000 barrels of oil per day and 28 million cubic feet of gas per day. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi (UNITED STATES) 

A worker climbs up to the next level of Chevron's Petronius oil platform, located 100 miles (161 km) off the coast of New Orleans, in the Gulf of Mexico June 3, 2008. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi (UNITED STATES) 

A worker chews tobacco during his break aboard Chevron's Petronius oil platform, located 100 miles (161 km) off the coast of New Orleans, in the Gulf of Mexico June 3, 2008. Petronius produces 27,000 barrels of oil per day and 28 million cubic feet of gas per day. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi (UNITED STATES) 

A Chevron employee looks at oil pipes aboard Chevron's Petronius oil platform, located 100 miles (161 km) off the coast of New Orleans, in the Gulf of Mexico June 3, 2008. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi (UNITED STATES) 

Scott Nimelstein, Chevron's Operations Support Supervisor for Deepwater, climbs into a lifeboat as a fire alarm goes off aboard Chevron's Petronius oil platform, located 100 miles (161 km) off the coast of New Orleans, in the Gulf of Mexico June 3, 2008. A power supply card failed, causing the entire facility to shut down momentarily as fire teams deployed and assessed that there was no danger on board. The lifeboats were not deployed. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi (UNITED STATES)