This earlier post noted the extensive damage that Hurricane Katrina caused to the MARS floating production platform in the Gulf of Mexico, which generates about 220,000 barrels of oil and 220 million cubic feet of natural gas daily when operational. Following up on that story, this Tom Fowler/Chronicle article reports on the delicate repair operation that will be taking place this week on the MARS platform. Essentially, the process involves removing a damaged rig from the platform, but the damaged rig is so ensnared with other equipment on the platform that removing it could cause even more damage to the equipment on the platform. Another story on the repair operation from the Baton Rouge Advocate is here. It’s this type of cost of doing business in the oil and gas industry that tends to get overlooked amidst the bright lights that shine on this grandstanding.