Shell evacuates US offshore workers ahead of Nicholas

Shell has evacuated some non-essential workers from its Perdido platform in the Gulf of Mexico ahead of tropical storm Nicholas.

The company, one of the biggest producers in the region, said it was taking the measure as a precaution. Perdido, located in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico, was not disrupted by Hurricane Ida, which swept through the region two weeks ago.

Chevron said it is "closely monitoring'" the projected path of Nicholas, and preparing for the storm at both its onshore and offshore operations.

Nicholas, which is expected to strengthen before making landfall later today along the Texas coast, threatens to bring heavy rainfall to Houston. It could hamper the oil and gas industry's recovery efforts from Ida, which damaged key offshore production hubs and knocked out power to onshore support facilities.

By Stephen Cunningham