HOUSTON, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Some Gulf of Mexico oil and gasoperators began evacuating workers from offshore facilities onThursday as a low-pressure system threatened to strengthen intoa cyclone.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Thursday morningthat a weather disturbance in the northwestern Caribbean Seabecame less organized overnight and had a 50 percent chance ofbecoming a tropical cyclone in the next 40 hours, down from a 70percent chance.
Marathon Oil Corp said on Thursday that the companywas evacuating workers not essential to production from itsEwing Bank platform, which can produce up to 9,700 barrels perday of oil and 8.2 million cubic feet per day of natural gas.Such workers would include cooks and maids.
"Marathon Oil's operated production has not been impacted atthis time," spokeswoman Lee Warren said.
Destin Pipeline Co LLC also said on Thursday that pipelinesin the Gulf of Mexico operated by BP Plc were evacuatingnonessential workers. The company said it would continue toaccept natural gas flows as weather conditions permit.
Other companies said they were monitoring the storm.
BP (BP.)
