US oil firms evacuate staff, cut drilling ahead of Storm Francine [View all]

Source: Reuters

September 9, 2024 4:52 PM EDT Updated 12 hours ago


HOUSTON, Sept 9 (Reuters) - U.S. Gulf of Mexico offshore oil and gas producers on Monday were evacuating staff and curbing drilling as Tropical Storm Francine churned through the energy region on a path to bring high winds and drenching rains to the U.S. mid-South.

Francine is moving toward U.S. Gulf of Mexico waters and predicted to become the fourth hurricane of the Atlantic season, which ends Nov. 30. Francine could become a Category 1 hurricane with winds of up to 85 mph (137 kph), ahead of landfall on the Louisiana coast on Wednesday evening, the National Hurricane Center said.

It is likely to bring life-threatening storm surge to the upper Texas and Louisiana coasts and hurricane-force winds to Southern Louisiana this week. New Orleans and other communities began offering flood-preventing sandbags to residents. Grand Isle, on the tip of Louisiana's coast, called for a voluntary evacuation of residents and canceled Tuesday school sessions.

The storm's path puts U.S. oil and gas producing facilities and coastal liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plants at risk. Areas along coastal Louisiana could experience 5-10-foot (1.5-3-m) storm surges, the NHC said. U.S. Gulf of Mexico federal offshore waters account for about 15% of total U.S. crude oil and 2% of natural gas production.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/shell-pauses-some-oil-drilling-operations-storm-francine-approaches-texas-coast-2024-09-09/