Oil Companies Evacuate Gulf of Mexico Staff as Major Hurricane Approaches

HOUSTON (Reuters) – U.S. oil producers are taking urgent measures to evacuate personnel from offshore oil production platforms in the Gulf of Mexico as a second significant hurricane in two weeks is forecasted to impact the region.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center has indicated that a potential Tropical Cyclone forming in the Caribbean is set to intensify rapidly over the warm waters of the Gulf, with the possibility of becoming a major hurricane by Thursday, featuring winds reaching up to 115 miles per hour (185 kph).

This storm, likely to be named Helene, could hit the U.S. as a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale, posing threats of life-threatening storm surges and powerful winds to the northeastern Gulf Coast and Florida Panhandle, according to the NHC.

Major oil companies, including BP, Chevron, Equinor, and Shell, have initiated evacuations of offshore staff and have halted some production activities.

BP has completely shut down oil and gas output from its Na Kika and Thunder Horse platforms and reduced production at two additional platforms, Argos and Atlantis. The company is evacuating personnel from these four locations, as well as from the Mad Dog platform.

Chevron has begun evacuating all personnel from its Blind Faith and Petronius offshore platforms while also halting production there. Non-essential workers are also being evacuated from the Anchor, Big Foot, Jack/St. Malo, and Tahiti platforms, although production remains stable at these sites.

Equinor is evacuating non-essential personnel from its Titan platform without affecting production at this time.

Occidental Petroleum has stated it will implement safety protocols as necessary across its offshore operations, while Talos Energy has refrained from providing comments regarding its storm preparations.

Shell has suspended production at its Stones platform and has curtailed output at its Appomattox facility, pausing some drilling operations as well. Non-essential staff from the Mars, Olympus, and Ursa offshore facilities are being evacuated, but production at these locations continues.

According to NHC meteorologist Brad Reinhart, the system is expected to grow as it moves across the Gulf, with its rapid approach likely resulting in stronger winds penetrating further inland across parts of the southeastern United States after it makes landfall.