ExxonMobil has halted production at its Hoover platform in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), after evacuating staff in advance of Hurricane Rafael. It joins a few other GOM producers like Equinor, Chevron, BP and Shell who have been preparing for the severe weather since the start of this week.
Meanwhile, midstream company Enbridge has evacuated all personnel from its offshore platforms, but operations remain normal at the facilities.
Hurricane Rafael has been changing its track since it was identified as a major storm, which at one point was expected to reach the U.S. Gulf Coast. In a Friday morning update, a weather map from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) showed the storm churning in the central GOM, and forecasts now point to Rafael shifting slightly south but staying in Gulf through next Wednesday (see map below).
In an update Friday, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement reported over 23% of crude oil production and nearly 11% of gas output has been suspended in GOM.
