Askume, Sept 11 – About 39% of crude oil production and 49% of natural gas output in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico was shut on Wednesday as Hurricane Francine headed toward the Louisiana coast, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said.
Hurricane Francine was moving northeast with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph (150 km/h) and was expected to reach the Louisiana coast this evening, the US National Hurricane Center said .
Regulators reported that offshore producers have shut down production of about 675,000 barrels of oil and 907 million cubic feet of natural gas per day. BSEE said 171 platforms have been evacuated, representing 46% of the total number of offshore platforms.
The Gulf of Mexico contributes about 15% of the U.S.’s total domestic oil production and 2% of total natural gas production, according to federal data.
