This article was updated Aug. 24 at 2:30 p.m. CST
Offshore oil and gas operators in the US Gulf of Mexico are evacuating platforms and rigs in preparation for tropical storms Marco and Laura. Tropical Storm Marco was downgraded from its previous status as a Category 1 hurricane Aug. 23 as it headed toward the Louisiana coast. It is expected to skirt the Louisiana coastline Aug. 24. Tropical Storm Laura is currently expected to make landfall in western Louisiana as a Category 2 hurricane Aug. 26.
Based on data from offshore operator reports submitted to the US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement as of 11:30 CDT on Aug. 24, personnel have been evacuated from 281 production platforms, 43.7% of the 643 manned platforms in the US gulf.
BSEE estimates that 82.4% of current gulf crude oil production, or 1,523,241 b/d, and 56.92% of natural gas production, or 1,542 MMcfd, have been shut in.
Personnel have been evacuated from six of the 10 nondynamically positioned rigs working in the gulf. Eleven of the 16 dynamically positioned rigs, by BSEE’s count, have moved off location out of the path of the two storms as a precaution.
BSEE will continue to update the evacuation and shut-in statistics at 1:00 p.m. CDT each day as appropriate.