RPT-FACTBOX-Storm Helene prompts US Gulf Coast energy facilities to scale back operations

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Sept 26 (Reuters) - Energy facilities along the U.S. Gulf Coast reduced operations and evacuated production sites as Hurricane Helene, initially a Category 4 storm, made landfall before weakening to a tropical storm.

Helene roared ashore in Florida's Big Bend region as one of the most powerful storms to hit the United States, with officials fearing the hurricane would leave a trail of deaths and widespread destruction as it moved inland.

Helene is tied as the 14th most powerful hurricane to hit anywhere in the United States since records have been kept, and is the seventh most powerful to slam into Florida. Helene has weakened into a tropical storm as it moves farther inland over Georgia, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in its latest advisory.

Officials issued dire warnings, pleading with residents in coastal areas along the hurricane's path to evacuate ahead of catastrophic winds and a potentially deadly storm surge.

About 25% of crude oil production and 20% of natural gas output in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico was shut in as a result of the hurricane, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said on Thursday.

Offshore production in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico accounts for approximately 1.8 million barrels per day or about 15% of the nation's total crude output. Disruptions have the potential to affect U.S. oil supplies, leading to upward pressure on prices for domestic oil and offshore crude grades.

OPERATOR	FACILITY	DATE	DETAILS
KinderMorgan KMI.N		Sept. 25	All Kinder Morgan bulk terminals in the Tampa area have prepared for the storm and have been shut down.
Shell SHEL.L	Stones and Appomattox facilities	Sept. 22	Evacuating non-essential personnel from its assets in the Mars Corridor, have paused some of their drilling operations, and shut production at its Stones and Appomattox facilities in the Gulf of Mexico.
Chevron CVX.N	Blind Faith, Petronius, Anchor, Big Foot, Jack/St. Malo, and Tahiti platform	Sept. 23 Sept. 25 Sept. 27	Evacuated all personnel from Blind Faith and Petronius platforms and the facilities have been shut-in. Non-essential personnel were also being transported from Anchor, Big Foot, Jack/St. Malo, and Tahiti platforms. Shut-in production and evacuated all associated personnel at the platforms, which includes the Anchor, Big Foot, Blind Faith, Jack/St. Malo, Petronius and Tahiti facilities. Begun to redeploy personnel and restore production at the company-operated platforms after storm Helene.
Equinor EQNR.OL	Titan oil production platform	Sept. 23	Evacuated some staff from its Titan oil production platform in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.
BP BP.L	Argos, Atlantis, Mad Dog, Na Kika and Thunder Horse platform	Sept. 23 Sept. 25	Removed non-essential personnel from Argos, Atlantis, Mad Dog, Na Kika and Thunder Horse platforms. Shut in production at Na Kika and Thunder Horse platforms, and curtailed production from Argos and Atlantis platforms. Working toward safely ramping up production across Gulf of Mexico portfolio.

(Reporting by Bangalore Commodities and Energy team; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Jonathan Oatis)

((BLRCEEditorial@thomsonreuters.com))