Category one hurricane Katrina, after leaving more than 1.5 million people without electricity for more than a day, is on its way as category 4 hurricane to Port Fourchon, Louisiana. The second landfall of this year’s fourth hurricane is expected to directly reach oil and gas infrastructure in the Gulf of Mexico.

According to National Hurricane Center, Katrina could strengthen to Category 5 before making landfall. The fall of hurricane is predicted to be anywhere between western Louisiana to Panama City, Florida.

According to U.S. Minerals and Management Services, the region of Gulf of Mexico accounts for daily crude oil production between 1.5 million barrels of oil and 10 and 11 billion cubic feet of natural gas. The region has seen intense level of activity in the last three years in search of energy using deep water drilling technology.

Port Fourchon is important oil and gas city for the nation’s domestic and import oil activities. About 13% of U.S. oil import flows through the port and 27% of domestic production flows through the pipeline hub located in the city according to MMS.

Hurricane Katrina's projected path across the Gulf continues to move west. As of late Friday evening, Shell has evacuated a total of 465 offshore personnel and will continue to evacuate all remaining Gulf of Mexico staff, with the exception of those at our assets far to the west. Total planned evacuations for Saturday include 554 additional personnel.


Gulf of Mexico based major oil and gas producing facilities:


EXXON


Exxon Mobil Corporation is a partner in the startup of production from the Princess field sub-sea wells, located approximately 140 miles southeast of New Orleans in the Gulf of Mexico. Production at the field is currently flowing at an approximate rate of 9,000 to 13,000 barrels of oil and 15 million cubic feet of gas per day. Production began on December 17, 2003.


CHEVRON

The company is the largest producer of crude oil and natural gas in the Gulf
of Mexico Shelf, with average daily net production rates of 101,000 barrels of crude oil, 750 million cubic feet of natural gas and 14,000 barrels of natural gas liquids in 2004. It’s one of the largest operators of deepwater blocks in the Gulf.

In the Gulf of Mexico, Tahiti Platform drilled the deepest successful production test well in the area's history, to 25,812 feet. With capacity of 325,000 barrels per day, Pascagoula Refinery is company's largest wholly owned refinery located in the region.


SHELL

Hurricane Katrina's projected path across the Gulf continues to move west. As of late Friday evening, Shell has evacuated a total of 465 offshore personnel and will continue to evacuate all remaining Gulf of Mexico staff, with the exception of those at our assets far to the west. Total planned evacuations for Saturday include 554 additional personnel.

On Friday, Shell began the process to shut-in production for two sub-sea fields, Tahoe and Crosby. However, all of Shell's central and easternmost Gulf of Mexico assets will likely be shut-in by the end of Saturday, the 27th. The rate of the total anticipated daily production impact, once those assets are fully shut-in, is estimated at 420 thousand barrels of oil and 1,345 million cubic feet of gas per day.


MURPHY OIL