Hurricane Helene Disrupts Gulf Coast Operations
(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, according to the National Hurricane Center.
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 Details
| Operator | Facility | Date | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kinder Morgan (NYSE:KMI) | Bulk terminals in Tampa | Sept. 25 | Prepared for the storm and shut down operations. |
| Shell (LON:SHEL) | Stones and Appomattox | Sept. 22 | Evacuating non-essential personnel and paused drilling operations. |
| Chevron (NYSE:CVX) | Blind Faith, Petronius, Anchor, Big Foot, Jack/St. Malo, Tahiti | Sept. 23 | Evacuated personnel and shut-in production. |
| Equinor | Titan oil production platform | Sept. 23 | Evacuated some staff. |
| BP (NYSE:BP) | Argos, Atlantis, Mad Dog, Na Kika, Thunder Horse | Sept. 23 | Removed non-essential personnel and curtailed production. |
Summary of actions as of Sept. 25
- Shut-in production and evacuated personnel at various platforms including Anchor, Big Foot, Blind Faith, Jack/St. Malo, Petronius, and Tahiti.
- Working toward safely ramping up production across Gulf of Mexico portfolio.
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