Offshore operators curtail US Gulf of Mexico production as tropical storm approaches
Shell and Chevron have begun curtailing offshore operations and moving personnel in the Gulf of Mexico as Tropical Storm Isaias moves toward the region, according to company statements.
Shell said it is evacuating all personnel and shutting in production at its Mars, Olympus, Ursa, Vito, and Appomattox assets. The company had already relocated non-essential personnel from its Stones asset.
Chevron said it has initiated shut-in procedures at four of its operated Gulf of Mexico facilities and is transporting additional personnel onshore. Production at its other five facilities in the Gulf remained at normal levels.
Tropical Storm Isaias formed in the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday and is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane before reaching the southern US coast early Saturday, the National Hurricane Center said. The storm is expected to bring heavy rain, storm surge, and possible tornadoes across several states.
Industry reports indicated that precautionary shut-ins had removed roughly a quarter of US Gulf oil output and a smaller share of natural gas production by midweek, with additional operators, including BP, also moving non-essential workers. Operators typically inspect facilities and restore production after a storm passes and conditions allow crews to return.
About the Author
Bruce BeaubouefBruce Beaubouef
Senior Lead Reporter / Managing Editor
Bruce Beaubouef is Managing Editor for Offshore magazine. In that capacity, he plans and oversees content for the magazine; writes features on technologies and trends for the magazine; writes news updates for the website; creates and moderates topical webinars; and creates videos that focus on offshore oil and gas and renewable energies. Beaubouef has been in the oil and gas trade media for 25 years, starting out as Editor of Hart’s Pipeline Digest in 1998. From there, he went on to serve as Associate Editor for Pipe Line and Gas Industry for Gulf Publishing for four years before rejoining Hart Publications as Editor of PipeLine and Gas Technology in 2003. He joined Offshore magazine as Managing Editor in 2010, at that time owned by PennWell Corp. Beaubouef earned his Ph.D. at the University of Houston in 1997, and his dissertation was published in book form by Texas A&M University Press in September 2007 as The Strategic Petroleum Reserve: U.S. Energy Security and Oil Politics, 1975-2005.