GOM Operators Evacuate Offshore Facilities Ahead of Cat 4 Hurricane Delta

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) activated its hurricane response team, while offshore operators began evacuating platforms and rigs in response to Hurricane Delta, a category 4 hurricane making its way toward Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and the US Gulf of Mexico (GOM) coast.

Operators said personnel were evacuated from 56 production platforms (9% of 643 manned GOM platforms) and one nondynamically positioned rig of 10.

Six dynamically positioned rigs (38% of 16 ) also moved off location out of the hurricane’s projected path as a precaution.

BSEE estimated about 29% of the GOM’s current oil production and 9% of natural gas production is shut in, based on daily operator reports.

As part of the evacuation process, personnel activated the applicable shut-in procedure, which can be accomplished from a remote location. The procedure includes closing subsurface safety valves below the surface of the ocean floor to prevent the release of oil or gas, effectively shutting in production from wells and protecting marine and coastal environments. Undamaged facilities will be brought back online after Hurricane Delta passes, pending inspection.

The GOM evacuations and shut-ins come less than a month after Hurricane Sally forced similar platform and rig evacuations and production shut-ins.