Chevron shutting in output, removing crews from US Gulf platforms ahead of storms

Houston — Chevron has begun shutting in production and evacuating crews from four sizeable US Gulf of Mexico platforms in advance of Tropical Storm Laura and Tropical Depression 14, as the two emerging storms move north toward the Gulf Coast.

"In preparation for the tropical weather, we have begun evacuating all personnel at our ... operated Big Foot, Genesis, Jack / St. Malo and Tahiti platforms and are initiating our shut-in procedures at the four facilities," Chevron said in a statement late Aug. 21.

Non-essential personnel are being evacuated from the company's Blind Faith and Petronius platforms, although production at those assets remains at normal levels, Chevron added.

Earlier Aug. 21, BP said it had has begun shutting in production from its four operated US Gulf platforms -- Thunder Horse, Mad Dog, Atlantis and Na Kika -- and also started to evacuate crew from platforms and drilling rigs, as well as securing offshore facilities.

Shell has also started to evacuate non-essential personnel at some of its offshore assets "as work activities and conditions allow," the company said late Aug. 21, but added so far there are no production impacts.

Norwegian integrated Equinor also plans to begin crew evacuations starting over the weekend, a company spokesman said.

Tropical Storm Laura is projected to head for offshore eastern Louisiana/Mississippi and areas further east, while Tropical Depression 14 currently appears on a path to strike southeast Texas or western Louisiana. Both storms should be in the Gulf of Mexico early next week, the US' National Hurricane Center said.

The US Gulf of Mexico produced 1.69 million b/d of oil in the second quarter, according to the latest US Energy Information Administration's Short-Term Energy Outlook monthly report. Those volumes are projected to rise to 1.82 million b/d in Q3 and 1.97 million b/d in Q4.

The Gulf also produced about 2.3 Bcf/d of natural gas in Q2, EIA said.