February 9, 2006	Thursday	Muharram 10, 1427

NEW YORK, Feb 8: Royal Dutch Shell Plc said on Wednesday it had restored about 76 per cent of its Gulf of Mexico oil and natural gas output after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The hurricanes hit the Gulf of Mexico in August and September, briefly knocking out 100 per cent of oil and gas production. Shell said Gulf of Mexico production was now 340,000 barrels per day of oil equivalent, up from 200,000 bpdoe in the third quarter of 2005, and down from 450,000 bpdoe before the storms.—Reuters