Hurricanes wreaked havoc on US oil infrastructure in 2024 – EIA

The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, which ran from June through November, came down with a crushing blow to US energy infrastructure and disrupted oil production in the Gulf of Mexico.

PHOTO: A huge hurricane between Florida and Cuba. Getty Images

The hurricane season this year “exhibited above-average activity,” the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) said. 18 storms were named along with five major hurricanes (Beryl, Debby, Francine, Helene, and Milton). Oil production was hit, primarily on the Gulf Coast and in the southeast of the country.

Hurricanes Helene and Milton, both category 3 storms, made landfalls on Florida’s Gulf Coast in late September and early October, wreaking havoc on petroleum supply chains, the EIA said.

“Hurricanes Francine, Helene, and Rafael forced some oil and natural gas production from fields in the Gulf of Mexico to be shut in,” the energy information provider said.

By September, about 295,000 b/d - or 16% of US Gulf Coast oil output - was shut in due to bad weather conditions. About 110,000 b/d of production was offline in November, accounting for about 5% of total crude oil production from federal Gulf of Mexico waters, the EIA reported.

Oil production sites in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi were mostly unharmed as they did not lie in Hurricane Milton or Helene’s paths.

"Oil and natural gas companies evacuated some platforms and shut in some production from fields in the Gulf of Mexico as a precautionary measure,” the energy agency added. 

By Aparupa Mazumder

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