BSEE: 84.8% of Gulf of Mexico oil shut in after Hurricane Zeta made landfall

Offshore oil and gas operators in the US Gulf of Mexico evacuated platforms and rigs ahead of Hurricane Zeta, which made landfall in southeast Louisiana as a Category 2 storm on Oct. 28.

Based on data from offshore operator reports submitted to the US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement as of 11:30 CDT on Oct. 29, personnel have been evacuated from 228 of the 643 manned platforms in the US gulf.

BSEE estimates that 84.8% of current gulf crude oil production, or 1,569,517 b/d, and 57.6% of natural gas production, or 1,561.3 MMcfd, have been shut in.

Personnel have been evacuated from two of the 10 nondynamically positioned rigs working in the gulf. Four of the 16 dynamically positioned rigs have had been moved off location out of the projected path of the storm.

This survey is reflective of 43 companies’ reports as of 11:30 CDT Oct. 29.