(Reuters) -Energy facilities along the U.S. Gulf Coast scaled back operations and evacuated some production sites as Hurricane Helene is expected to bring catastrophic winds and storm surges to the northeastern Gulf Coast.
On the forecast track, Helene will move across the eastern Gulf of Mexico on Thursday and cross the Florida Big Bend coast Thursday evening, the National Hurricane Center said.
Hurricane Helene is forecast to be a powerful Category 4 storm, packing sustained wind speeds of up to 156 miles per hour (251 km per hour), forecasters said.
Officials issued dire warnings, pleading with residents in coastal areas along the hurricane's path to evacuate ahead of catastrophic winds and a potentially deadly storm surge.
About 25% of crude oil production and 20% of natural gas output in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico was shut in as a result of Hurricane Helene, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said on Thursday.
Offshore production in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico accounts for approximately 1.8 million barrels per day or about 15% of the nation's total crude output. Disruptions have the potential to affect U.S. oil supplies, leading to upward pressure on prices for domestic oil and offshore crude grades.
OPERATOR FACILITY DATE DETAILS
Sept. 25 All Kinder Morgan (NYSE:KMI) bulk
KinderMorgan terminals in the Tampa area have
prepared for the storm and have
been shut down.
Shell (LON:SHEL) Stones and Appomattox Sept. 22 Evacuating
facilities non-essential personnel from its
assets in the Mars Corridor, have
paused some of their drilling
operations, and shut production at
its Stones and Appomattox
facilities in the Gulf of Mexico.
Chevron (NYSE:CVX) Blind Faith, Petronius, Sept. 23 Evacuated all personnel from Blind
Anchor, Big Foot, Jack/St. Faith and Petronius platforms and
Malo, and Tahiti platform the facilities have been shut-in.
Non-essential personnel were also
being transported from Anchor, Big
Foot, Jack/St. Malo, and Tahiti
platforms.
Sept. 25 Shut-in production and
evacuated all associated personnel
at the platforms, which includes
the Anchor, Big Foot, Blind Faith,
Jack/St. Malo, Petronius and
Tahiti facilities.
Equinor Titan oil production platform Sept. 23 Evacuated some staff
from its Titan oil production
platform in the U.S. Gulf of
Mexico.
BP (NYSE:BP) Argos, Atlantis, Mad Dog, Na Sept. 23 Removed non-essential
Kika and Thunder Horse personnel from Argos, Atlantis,
platform Mad Dog, Na Kika and Thunder Horse
platforms. Shut in production at
Na Kika and Thunder Horse
platforms, and curtailed
production from Argos and Atlantis
platforms.
Sept. 25 Working toward safely
ramping up production across Gulf
of Mexico portfolio.