NEW ORLEANS - The Marine Minerals Administration is monitoring offshore oil and gas operators in the Gulf of America as they evacuate platforms and rigs in response to the storm. The Marine Minerals Administration team will work with offshore operators and other state and federal agencies until operations return to normal, and the storm is no longer a threat to Gulf of America oil and gas activities.

Based on data from offshore operator reports submitted as of 11:00 a.m. CDT today, personnel have been evacuated from a total of 8 production platforms, 2.16% of the 371 manned platforms in the Gulf of America. Production platforms are the offshore structures from which oil and natural gas are produced and transported to shore. Unlike drilling rigs, which typically move from location to location, production facilities remain in the same location throughout a project's duration.

Personnel have been evacuated from 2 non-dynamically positioned rig(s), equivalent to 18.8% of the 11 rigs of this type currently operating in the Gulf. Rigs can include several types of offshore drilling facilities including jack up rigs, platform rigs, all submersibles, and moored semisubmersibles.

A total of 1 dynamically positioned rigs have moved off location out of the storm's path as a precaution. This number represents 5.88% of the 17 non-dynamically positioned rigs currently operating in the Gulf. Non-dynamically positioned rigs maintain their location while conducting well operations by using thrusters and propellers; these rigs are not moored to the seafloor, so they can move out of harm's way in a relatively short time frame. Personnel remain on board and return to the original location once the storm has passed.

As part of the evacuation process, personnel activate the applicable shut-in procedure, which can frequently be accomplished from a remote location. This involves closing safety valves located below the surface of the ocean floor to prevent the release of oil or gas, effectively shutting in production from wells in the Gulf and protecting the marine and coastal environments. Shutting in oil and gas production is a standard procedure conducted by industry for safety and environmental reasons.

From operator reports, the Marine Minerals Administration estimates that approximately 25.08% of the current oil production and 16.37% of the current natural gas production in the Gulf of America has been shut in. The production percentages are calculated using information submitted by offshore operators in daily reports. Shut-in production information included in these reports is based on the amount of oil and gas the operator expected to produce that day. The shut-in production figures therefore are estimates, which the Marine Minerals Administration compares to historical production reports to ensure the estimates follow a logical pattern.

After the storm has passed, facilities will be inspected. Once all standard checks have been completed, production from undamaged facilities will be brought back online immediately. Facilities sustaining damage may take longer to bring back online.

As of July 10, 2026, the Department of the Interior has reunified the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement into the Marine Minerals Administration, which will oversee the responsible development of the nation's offshore energy and marine mineral resources with an integrated focus on safety, environmental protection and efficient oversight. For more information, visit https://www.doi.gov/mma-reunification.

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