At 11 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT), its sustained winds had increased to 60 mph (95 kph), the NHC said. Chevron Corp. and Murphy Oil Corp on Saturday began evacuations from offshore production platforms, spokespeople said. Chevron's Pascagoula, Mississippi, refinery was implementing storm preparedness procedures, the company said.Other oil producers with drilling rigs and platforms in the area said they were monitoring the storm and prepared to take action as needed.U.S. Gulf of Mexico offshore oil production provides about 17% of U.S. crude oil and 5% of U.S. natural gas production. Coastal Grand Isle also issued its third evacuation since July.

Source: Economic Times September 14, 2020 02:20 UTC