Hurricane Ian shuts in 9pc of US Gulf oil output

US offshore operators shut 9pc of Gulf of Mexico oil production, a slight decrease from yesterday's 11pc, as Hurricane Ian came ashore on Florida's west coast as a category 4 storm.

About 157,700 b/d of offshore oil output was off line as of 12:30pm ET, according to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). About 128mn cf/d of natural gas production, or 6pc of the region's output, was also off line. Operators evacuated 11 platforms.

Although Ian is the first major hurricane of the season to threaten the mainland US, it has spared the majority of oil and gas facilities in the Gulf. The region accounts for about 15pc of US crude output and 5pc of dry-gas production.

Ian made landfall near Cape Coral, Florida.

President Joe Biden today warned the oil industry not to use Ian as an excuse to increase gasoline prices.

"This small, temporary storm impact on oil production provides no excuse for price increases at the pump," Biden said, calling on officials to look into potential price gouging if companies made any attempt to hike fuel prices.

BP said yesterday it was redeploying personnel to two offshore platforms that were shut in advance of the hurricane. The company was working to return staff to the 130,000 b/d Na Kika and 250,000 b/d Thunder Horse platforms.

Chevron evacuated personnel from its Petronius and Blind Faith platforms earlier in the week. Production at the company's other facilities in the Gulf of Mexico remained at normal levels.

By Stephen Cunningham