The US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) continues to monitor offshore oil and gas operations in the US Gulf of Mexico ahead of Hurricane Helene, a major hurricane expected to make landfall on Florida’s Big Bend region tonight.
Based on data from offshore operator reports submitted as of 11:30 a.m. CDT Sept. 26, personnel have been evacuated from 27 production platforms, 7.28% of the 371 manned platforms in the Gulf of Mexico.
Personnel have been evacuated from one non-dynamically positioned (DP) rig, equivalent to 20% of the five rigs of this type currently operating in the Gulf.
A total of three DP rigs have moved off location out of the storm’s path as a precaution. This number represents 14.3% of the 21 DP rigs currently operating in the Gulf.
From operator reports, BSEE estimates that about 25.25% (441,923 b/d) of the current oil production and 19.81% (363.39 MMcfd) of the current natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico has been shut-in.