Coastal evacuations; O&G

HOUSTON - Tropical Storm Cristobal is moving through the Gulf of Mexico today (June 6) carrying strong winds and heavy rains that prompted the evacuation of a coastal Louisiana community and dozens of offshore oil platforms. Cristobal, packing winds of 50 mph is expected to strengthen somewhat before making landfall late June 7 along the Louisiana coast, according to the National Hurricane Center. Grand Isle, La., was under a mandatory evacuation with an anticipated storm surge of up to four feet between Morgan City, La., and the mouth of the Mississippi River. The storm is not expected to reach hurricane strength, but could drop up to eight inches of rain in coastal Louisiana, NHC forecasters said. Oil companies have evacuated 177 GoM offshore facilities and shut-in some 616,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil and 853M cubic feet/day of natural gas output, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said. Traders pushed spot gasoline prices higher on June 5. Nine Louisiana oil refineries in Cristobal's path plan to keep operating through rains and high winds expected to sweep over an area between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, sources said. Combined capacity of those refineries is about 12% of the U.S. national total of 18.8M barrels per day (bpd). GoM platforms account for about 1.93M bpd - about 15% of the U.S. total daily oil production. (Source: Reuters 06/06/20)