The US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) updated its monitoring of offshore oil and gas operators in the US Gulf of Mexico as companies readied in recent days for the arrival of Hurricane Rafael.
At 9:00 am CST, the center of Hurricane Rafael was moving toward the west-northwest in the US Gulf of Mexico near 9 mph. A turn toward the west is expected later today, with this general motion continuing through the weekend, according to the National Hurricane Center. On the forecast track, Rafael is expected to move over the southern Gulf of Mexico for the next few days.
Data from the Air Force Hurricane Hunters indicate that maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 100 mph with higher gusts. Some additional weakening is anticipated during the next few days.
Based on data from offshore operator reports submitted as of 11:30 a.m. CDT Nov. 7, personnel have been evacuated from a total of 17 production platforms, 4.58% of the 371 manned platforms in the Gulf of Mexico.
Personnel have been evacuated from 1 non-dynamically positioned (DP) rig, equivalent to 16.6% of the 6 rigs of this type currently operating in the Gulf, BSEE said.
A total of 5 DP rigs have moved off location out of the storm’s path as a precaution. This number represents 23.8% of the 20 DP rigs currently operating in the Gulf.
From operator reports, BSEE estimates that about 22.36% (391,214 b/d) of the current oil production and 9.73% (181 MMcfd) of the current natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico has been shut in.