Hurricane Francine disrupts 30% of U.S. Gulf crude oil production

Nearly 30% of crude oil and 41% of natural gas production in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico remains offline following Hurricane Francine, as reported by the U.S. offshore energy regulator. 

Hurricane Francine's Destructive Path

Hurricane Francine wreaked havoc on prime oil and gas producing areas in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, with winds of up to 100 miles per hour (161 kph) impacting coastal Louisiana. The storm not only caused power outages but also led to toppled trees and flooded coastal areas, affecting four states. On Saturday, approximately 37,000 customers in Louisiana were without power as a result of the storm's devastation. 

Significant Production Losses and Atlas Impact Assessment

A survey conducted by energy producers indicated that over 522,000 barrels of oil production and 755 million cubic feet of natural gas remained offline as of Saturday. These figures were reported by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). The cumulative impact of the storm has resulted in a staggering total of 1.82 million barrels of crude oil and 4.12 billion cubic feet of natural gas offline this week, as estimated by BSEE.

Operational Challenges for Energy Companies

Furthermore, the offshore regulator revealed that 52 oil and gas platforms were unmanned by energy workers on Saturday, representing approximately 14% of the total platforms. This figure is a decrease from the peak of 171 evacuated offshore platforms earlier in the week. Chevron's platforms were also affected, with reduced rates of operation due to an onshore gas plant disruption. The company confirmed that full production at the impacted platforms, Jack/St. Malo and Big Foot, would resume once the onshore disruption is resolved. The identity of the gas plant operator was not disclosed by Chevron in its statement.