Chevron returns workers US Gulf platforms

Chevron has started to return personnel to two offshore platforms in the Gulf of Mexico that were shut in as a precaution ahead of Hurricane Ian.

The company reported no damage to any of its operated facilities as a result of Ian, which crashed ashore yesterday in southwestern Florida as a Category 4 storm.

Earlier in the week, Chevron had evacuated staff and suspended output from its Petronius and Blind Faith platforms.

Chevron also reminded its independently-owned distributors of Chevron and Texaco branded fuel to respect price gouging laws activated as part of the response to the hurricane.

Separately, BP said it had redeployed offshore personnel and restarted production at the 130,000 b/d Na Kika and 250,000 b/d Thunder Horse platforms. Both were also halted in advance of Ian.

The US offshore Gulf of Mexico region accounts for about 15pc of US crude output and 5pc of dry-gas production. As much as 11pc of crude production, or 190,358 b/d, was offline this week because of voluntary shut-ins by producers, according to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). By 28 September that figure had fallen to 9pc. BSEE does not plan to update the production data further.

By Stephen Cunningham