HOUSTON, Sept 27 (Reuters) - U.S. offshore oil producers on Tuesday were keeping a wary eye on Hurricane Ian's track as the powerful storm shut-in at least 480,000 barrels of oil production ahead its move into the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.
The hurricane was over western Cuba on Tuesday and forecast to become a dangerous, category 4 storm as it crosses the Gulf of Mexico. It was packing 125 mile per hour (205 kph) winds, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said, and traveling toward landfall on the west coast of Florida at mid-week.
Ian is the first hurricane this year to disrupt oil and gas production in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, which produces about 15% of the nation's crude oil and 5% of dry natural gas. Ian's course takes it east of the core of U.S. offshore oil and gas production.
Offshore producers Chevron, BP, Occidental Petroleum and Hess on Monday said they had taken precautions ahead of the storm's arrival in the Gulf.
BP evacuated personnel and halted output at two offshore production platforms that together pump up to 380,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd). Chevron also removed staff from two platforms that together produce 105,000 bpd.
Occidental and Hess said they were implementing storm procedures without providing specifics. (Reporting by Arathy Somasekhar; Editing by Mark Porter)