An oil and gas drilling platform stands offshore in the Gulf of Mexico in Dauphin Island, Alabama, U.S., October 5, 2013. REUTERS/Steve Nesius/File Photo
The U.S. Gulf of Mexico’s oil and gas industry is taking urgent precautions as Tropical Storm Francine is expected to strengthen over the Gulf’s warm waters, with widespread evacuations and production shutdowns underway.
The U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) has activated its Hurricane Response Team to monitor the situation. As of this morning, personnel have been evacuated from 130 production platforms, representing 35% of the manned platforms in the Gulf. Additionally, two non-dynamically positioned rigs and three dynamically positioned rigs have been evacuated or moved out of the storm’s path.
The National Hurricane Center reports that Tropical Storm Francine is expected to strengthen into a hurricane over the Gulf before making landfall in Louisiana on Wednesday or Wednesday night potentially as a Category 1 hurricane. The storm’s maximum sustained winds are currently near 65 mph, with tropical-storm-force winds extending up to 140 miles from the center.
A Hurricane Watch is now in effect for Lake Maurepas, Lake Pontchartrain, and metropolitan New Orleans in Louisiana.
As a result of these precautionary measures, approximately 23.55% of oil production and 26.56% of natural gas production in the Gulf has been shut-in.
“Shutting in oil and gas production is a standard procedure conducted by the industry for safety and environmental reasons. Our primary concern is always the protection of human life and our natural resources,” said Michael Celata, BSEE Gulf of Mexico Regional Director.
The BSEE will continue to work with offshore operators and other agencies until the threat has passed and normal operations can resume. After the storm, thorough inspections will be conducted before production is brought back online.
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