The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement says that it has evacuated 54 platforms, one rig, and one dynamically positioned rig ahead of Tropical Storm Gordon’s arrival in the Gulf of Mexico.
The bureau says that they have activated their Hurricane Response Team and are now monitoring all offshore oil and gas operations and evacuations in the Gulf as the storm approaches.
The evacuation processes at these platforms and rigs have also activated shut-in procedures. These procedures involve the closing of sub-surface safety valves below the surface of the ocean floor to ensure oil or gas is not released while the platforms and rigs are not in use.
The bureau says that approximately 9.23 percent of current oil production and 9.06 percent of natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico has been shut-in.
BSEE says more evacuations may be issued as the storm nears. Facilities will be inspected once the storm has passed.
