Oil firms pull US Gulf workers, output unaffected

HOUSTON, Sept 19 (Reuters) – Oil companies removed nonessential workers from offshore platforms in the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday due to the threat of a gathering storm, but production was unaffected.

Oil prices rose on the news, briefly hitting a record above $82 per barrel, as traders weighed the possibility of disruptions to output from the region, home to a quarter of U.S. oil and gas output.


The National Hurricane Center said Wednesday a tropical disturbance on the east coast of Florida could strengthen into a tropical cyclone and cross into the energy-rich Gulf of Mexico in the coming days.

“We’re pulling the nonessential staff to free up the choppers (helicopters) in case we need them, should a significant storm materialize,” a spokesman for Total SA said.

Reuters