Tropical storm Zeta is estimated to arrive at the central US Gulf of Mexico by the middle of this week, forcing producers to shut the region’s oil and gas production again. BP said it is evacuating workers from its four offshore production platforms, while ExxonMobil said it is closely monitoring Zeta. According to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Safety, shut-in output data might be available later on Monday. Previously, Hurricane Delta took offline 92% of oil production in the region and left nearly 900,000 people in Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi without electricity. The offshore Gulf of Mexico accounts for about 17% of oil production and 5% of natural gas output in the US.
The National Weather Service said Zeta is the 27th named storm of this year’s Atlantic hurricane season, setting a record on named storms number since 2005. The US National Hurricane Center said Zeta developed from a tropical depression into Tropical Storm Zeta on Sunday and could hit the US Gulf Coast by midweek. It could bring winds,rainfall, and storm surge when approaching the northern Gulf Coast, affecting areas covering Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle. Governor John Bel Edwards said Louisiana must prepare for Zeta’s effect while recovering from damages caused by Laura and Delta.
