Francine spurs more US Gulf oil shut-ins: Update 2

Update with BSEE production data.

US energy producers curtailed nearly 39pc of offshore Gulf of Mexico oil production as Hurricane Francine bore down on the Louisiana coastline today.

About 674,833 b/d of offshore oil output was off line as of 12:30pm ET, according to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). Around 907mn cf/d of natural gas production, or 49pc of the region's output, was also off line. Operators evacuated workers from 171 platforms.

Companies including Chevron, ExxonMobil and Shell relocated offshore workers and suspending some drilling operations ahead of the hurricane. Ports along the hurricane's path announced traffic restrictions in advance, with some setting out plans to close until it passes, including the port of New Orleans.

Francine was last about 60 miles south-southwest of Morgan City, Louisiana, according to a 4pm ET update from the National Hurricane Center. Maximum sustained winds were reported at 90mph.

The hurricane is set to make landfall in Louisiana by this evening before moving north across Mississippi on Thursday. Rapid weakening is forecast and Francine is expected to be a post-tropical system on Thursday.

With the hurricane's track locked in on Louisiana, the port of Houston reopened to all vessel traffic at 1pm ET Wednesday, a ship agent said, after closing Tuesday afternoon.

The Gulf of Mexico accounts for around 15pc of total US crude output and 5pc of US natural gas production.

By Stephen Cunningham and Tray Swanson