Hurricane Helene forces these Gulf Coast energy facilities to scale back operations

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 this 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 29% of crude production and 17% of natural gas output in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico were shut in response to Helene, the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said on Wednesday. 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. KinderMorganSept. 25 All Kinder Morgan bulk terminals in the Tampa area have prepared for the storm and have been shut down. Shell Sept. 22Stones and Appomattox facilities Evacuating 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 Sept. 23, Sept. 25Blind Faith, Petronius, Anchor, Big Foot, Jack/St. Malo, and Tahiti platform Evacuated all personnel from Blind Faith and Petronius platforms and the facilities have been shut-in. Non-essential personnel were also being transported from Anchor, Big Foot, Jack/St. Malo, and Tahiti platforms. 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 Sept. 23 Titan oil production platform Evacuated some staff from its Titan oil production platform in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. BP Sept. 23, Sept. 25 Argos, Atlantis, Mad Dog, Na Kika and Thunder Horse platform Removed non-essential personnel from Argos, Atlantis, 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. Working toward safely ramping up production across Gulf of Mexico portfolio. —Bangalore Commodities and Energy team, Reuters