(Reuters) – Major energy companies said on Tuesday they are evacuating some oil production workers and securing offshore platforms as they prepare for the approach of tropical storm Rafael toward the Gulf of Mexico.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center in its latest advisory said Rafael was about 200 miles (320 km) east southeast of Grand Cayman, packing maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 kph).
BP said it has secured offshore facilities and removed some non-essential personnel from its Argos, Atlantis, Mad Dog, Na Kika, and Thunder Horse facilities.
Chevron, which operates six platforms in the Gulf, including Anchor, Blind Faith, Jack/St. Malo, Tahiti, Petronius, and Big Foot, said it moved non-essential personnel, though production remains unaffected.
Equinor said it has shut down production, with full evacuations expected by the day’s end.
Similarly, Shell on Monday began relocating personnel from its Appomattox, Vito, and other assets in anticipation of the storm’s potential impact.
(Reporting by Sherin Elizabeth Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
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