Tropical Storm Francine Affects Gulf of Mexico Oil Operations

HOUSTON (Reuters) – Energy pipeline operator Enbridge (NYSE:ENB) has evacuated employees from multiple offshore U.S. Gulf of Mexico platforms as Tropical Storm Francine approaches landfall in Louisiana.

The storm has halted oil and gas production at several offshore sites operated by Chevron (NYSE:CVX), Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM), and Shell (LON:SHEL). The initial impact assessment on U.S. energy production is expected to be released later on Tuesday by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.

Enbridge, which oversees a vast pipeline network transporting oil and gas to onshore facilities, evacuated staff from three offshore platforms. However, operations are still being managed remotely, according to customer notifications.

The evacuated platforms include South Marsh Island 76, Ship Shoal 207, and Ship Shoal 332. Notably, South Marsh Island 76 links to a major natural gas offshore pipeline with a capacity of 1 billion cubic feet per day.

Additionally, the Manta Ray Gas Gathering system has declared force majeure at its Green Canyon 158 Brutus receipt point, suspending natural gas reception, as reported to customers by Enbridge. Force majeure allows for the temporary suspension of contracts due to unforeseen circumstances, and operations will resume once a faulty valve is replaced.