Gulf Rig & Platform Evacuations To "Begin In Earnest" Today - RDS Non-essential Evac Prep Underway

[hatrack]

Evacuations of oil and gas rigs and platforms in the Gulf of Mexico are expected to begin in earnest today in preparation for Hurricane Gustav.

Royal Dutch Shell began making arrangements on Tuesday to evacuate staff not essential to production or drilling operations.

Offshore platforms in the Gulf are responsible for about 14 percent of U.S. natural gas production and a fifth of the nation's oil output.

EDIT

http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2008/08/energy_industry_expected_to_be.html

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. And up go the oil markets.

CLV08.NYM Crude Oil Oct 08 118.83 10:17am ET Up 2.56 (2.20%)
HOU08.NYM Heating Oil Sep 08 3.2986 10:17am ET Up 0.0887 (2.76%)
NGU08.NYM Natural Gas Sep 08 8.633 10:17am ET Up 0.355 (4.29%)
PNU08.NYM Propane Gas Sep 08 1.68 Aug 26 0.00 (0.00%)
RBU08.NYM RBOB Gasoline Sep 08 3.0898 10:15am ET Up 0.1201 (4.04%)

I have often wondered what the oil markets did to run up the prices in the times before Hurricanes existed, like 5 years ago.

[demnan]

2. How about evacuating the people?

n/t

[EarlG]

3. I wonder if John McCain is paying attention

[Viva_La_Revolution]

5. excellent!

:rofl:

[Dead_Parrot]

6. Dammit, you owe me a keyboard. nt

[GliderGuider]

4. Why are they caving in to the speculators?

Bunch of wusses, y'ask me...