US Gulf operators halt operations before hurricane

Offshore oil and natural gas producers in the Gulf of Mexico have evacuated workers and halted some operations on expectations that a major hurricane will hit the region later in the week.

Tropical storm Helene, which has formed over the northwestern Caribbean, has already spurred hurricane and storm surge watches along parts of the Florida Gulf Coast.

Helene was last about 180 miles east-southeast of Cozumel, Mexico, according to an 11am ET advisory from the US National Hurricane Center. Maximum sustained winds were reported to be 45 mph.

"On the forecast track, the center of Helene will move across the far northwestern Caribbean Sea through tonight, and then move across the eastern Gulf of Mexico Wednesday and Thursday, potentially reaching the Gulf coast of Florida late Thursday," the center said.

The storm is expected to become a hurricane on Wednesday, and strengthen into a major hurricane on Thursday, classified as packing winds of at least 111 mph.

BP said Monday it had started to shut in production at its Na Kika and Thunder Horse platforms, southeast of New Orleans, and was curtailing output from its Argos and Atlantis facilities. Additionally, the company said it was removing non-essential staff from its Argos, Atlantis, Mad Dog, Na Kika and Thunder Horse platforms.

Elsewhere, Chevron began evacuating workers and shutting in its Blind Faith and Petronius platforms. "While we are also transporting nonessential personnel from our four other Chevron-operated Gulf of Mexico platforms, production there remains at normal levels," the company said.

Shell said Monday it had shut in output from its Stones facility and curtailed production from Appomattox platform, both off the coast of Louisiana. The company was also relocating non-essential workers from its assets in the Mars Corridor, and suspending some drilling operations.

By Stephen Cunningham