On Monday, November 14, 2011, driver of the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Dodge, Kurt Busch traveled to New Orleans, LA to the offshore Shell oil rig Brutus. Following a cross-country trip from the Kobalt Tools 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on Sunday night, Busch visited the rig for an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour to develop a further understanding of deepwater oil exploration and to meet with the rig crew members, and also recognizing Brutus and Shell for their charitable giving in 2011.
[media-credit name=”Sam Brown, Shell U.S. Motorsports Communications” align=”alignright” width=”200″]
[/media-credit]“What an experience! It was one of those situations where you go in not knowing exactly what to expect and once you get out there, the ‘WOW FACTOR’ kicks in”, said Busch. “I have a whole new appreciation for how technology gets oil out of the ground. I also have tremendous respect for the incredible teamwork we witnessed out there. The camaraderie that Shell has on Brutus reminds me a lot of what it takes to make up a championship-caliber racing team because they are the best at what they do.
“We were able to enjoy lunch with all the workers and signed autographs for them. They busted my chops on how the race played out in Phoenix by presenting me with a Shell gas card….. as if I don’t have one of my own by now. It was a really fun time out there. Patricia and I are very grateful to have had the opportunity to make the special visit.”
Brutus is the newest Tension Leg Platform in the Gulf of Mexico for Shell and is an eight-slot platform with facilities processing capacity of 120,000 barrels of oil per day. The TLP was designed to accept as many as five future subsea tie-in projects and was installed in June 2011 in a water depth of 2,985ft.
Before the trip to the rig, Busch went through a safety briefing and then boarded a helicopter for the hour-and –a half ride to Brutus. Busch received an overview of deepwater oil exploration on how Brutus produces oil, which was proceeded by a tour of the massive structure. Kurt also recognized Brutus and Shell for their charitable giving and support of the United Way. During the visit he spent time talking with crew members answering questions and signing autographs.
“We were thrilled to host Kurt in the deepwater area of the Gulf of Mexico”, said Dave Hernandez, Operations Manager for Brutus TLP. “The team was proud to demonstrate our value for safety, show him our amazing technology, and let him know how Shell employees take great pride in making a difference in our local communities. It was truly an experience we will all remember for quite some time.”
Busch now heads to Homestead-Miami Speedway, where he will compete in the Ford 400, the final race of the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. Busch will be making his 400th career start at Homestead and looks to wrap up a solid first season as part of the Shell and Pennzoil family.
