Hurricane Information

 Hurricane Response and Market Effect: An API Fact Sheet
Size: 211 KB | Date: September 17, 2008 | License: Free

Note: For the latest information on tropical storm and hurricane activity, link to: National Hurricane Center | Mineral Management Services | U.S. Department of Energy

Hurricanes and the Oil and Natural Gas Industry
The nation’s oil and natural gas industry is working diligently to get the energy infrastructure in the Gulf Coast region restarted and running at normal capacity. The industry is building on lessons learned from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and using our know-how to deal effectively with disasters like Hurricane Ike.  View API President and CEO Red Cavaney’s statement on hurricane recovery.

API plays two primary roles for the industry: first, to help gain a better understanding of the environmental conditions in and around the Gulf of Mexico during hurricane activity and then apply that knowledge to make offshore and onshore facilities more resilient; and second, to facilitate industry reliability by fostering collaboration among member companies and with federal, state and local governments and with other industries. More>

Video: Oil and Natural Gas Industry Response to Hurricane Ike
API President and CEO Red Cavaney summarizes the oil and natural gas industry’s recovery efforts following Hurricane Ike.  View video of press conference.

Mineral Management Services Rule Enhances Hurricane Safety of Offshore Platforms
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service (MMS) issued a final rule (See Federal Register) to improve the survivability of offshore platforms and increase environmental safety during hurricane events.  (04/15/2008)

For more Gulf of Mexico information, link to: Mineral Management Services, Gulf of Mexico Region

Immediately following the hurricanes, operators moved swiftly to repair damaged facilities and to restore delivery of the critical energy resources produced in the Gulf.

Industry and government worked together to assess lessons from the 2005 hurricane season and to identify, coordinate, and address hurricane related issues for offshore oil and natural gas operations.

Individual operators undertook additional preparedness measures including communications improvements, pre-staging of critical equipment, and identifying transportation alternatives to move crude oil production to shore such as new pipeline connections, or barging and shuttle tankering.

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Hurricane Podcasts
API has recorded these podcasts to help consumers better understand the impact of hurricanes to the oil and natural gas industry.

Hurricane Ike: Picking Up the Pieces
In this podcast episode of Energy Tomorrow Radio Jane Van Ryan talks with Debbie Hastings of the Texas Oil and Gas Association and Commander Chuck Polk of the United States Coast Guard about damage caused by Hurricane Ike to Houston and surrounding areas.

 Hurricane Ike: Picking Up the Pieces Podcast (9/15/2008) | Show Notes

Hurricane Preparedness
In this podcast episode of EnergyTomorrow Radio, John Bisney, Tim Sampson and Andy Radford of API discuss what America's oil and gas industry has done to and is doing to minimize the impact of hurricanes on both production in the Gulf of Mexico and in refineries.

Hurricane Preparedness Podcast (8/22/2007)

EnergyTomorrow Radio is a podcast series that features energy industry experts speaking on hot button energy issues. 

Successfully Weathering Rita and Katrina
Every year, hurricanes of varying strength lay siege to America's coasts, but despite the tremendous power of the 2004 and 2005 storms, the vast majority of offshore platforms and facilities survived due to superior design and construction.  There were no significant spills from any offshore facility and no deaths or injuries among the 25,000-30,000 offshore workers.  To find out more, read this report from the National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA).

API Recommended Practices for Gulf of Mexico Production Facilities Updated
API's revisions to its recommended practices are available to the industry without charge.  More>    

The five Gulf Coast states are home to more than half-a-million petroleum industry jobs (Source: Independent Petroleum Association of America, 2003 data)

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and Gulf of Mexico Oil & Natural Gas Operations

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Gulf of Mexico Refinery Capacity

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U.S. Refining Centers and Products Pipelines

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Links:

Minerals Management Service/Gulf of Mexico Hurricane Information

EIA's 2008 Outlook for Hurricane Production Outages In the Gulf of Mexico

NOAA/National Hurricane Center (Latest Updates)

NOAA/Hurricane Awareness

NOAA/Hurricane Background Info

EIA's Quick Energy Facts:  Texas  |  Louisiana