On Sunday, offshore platforms and a refinery in the US Gulf Coast closed on the preparation for the second hurricane strike in less than a month.
According to the US National Hurricane Center, energy firms have started closing offshore output and evacuated workers in the path of the storm, 195 miles (315 km) east-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River.
Phillips 66 started to shut its 255,600 bpd Alliance refinery in Louisiana as the Tropical Storm Sally was estimated to go through west of the plant, 24 miles (38 km) south of New Orleans.
Chevron Corp. shut its Blind Faith and Petronius platforms and evacuated the workers, while Royal Dutch Shell Plc. started to close some of its offshore drilling operations but offshore production was unchanged and all personnel remained on production platforms. Murphy Oil shut the Delta House platform.
Previously on Saturday, Equinor ASA closed its Titan platform and evacuated personnel. BP Plc. evacuated non-essential workers from its Na Kika and Thunderhorse platforms.
In east Louisiana, other refineries are monitoring the storm which is expected to become a category 2 hurricane with winds of 100 mph (161 kph) on early Tuesday. The state had declared a state of emergency on Saturday with New Orleans ordering evacuation for residents outside its protective levees on Sunday evening.
Other oil producers with drilling rigs and platforms in the Gulf said they were monitoring the storm and ready for action as needed.
US Gulf of Mexico offshore oil production makes up about 17% of U.S. crude oil and 5% of U.S. natural gas output. In August, up to 1.5 million bpd of oil output was cut from the region due to Hurricane Laura.
