Key facts
- Tropical Storm Bertha made landfall in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana.
- Maximum sustained winds decreased to 45 mph.
- The storm is expected to move along the Louisiana and upper Texas coasts through Thursday.
- An estimated 1.5 million barrels of oil production could be lost in the U.S. Gulf.
- Chevron shut down its Petronius facility and evacuated personnel as a precaution.
Tropical Storm Bertha made landfall in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, on Wednesday, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. The storm, located about 45 miles southwest of Biloxi, Mississippi, and 40 miles east of New Orleans, has weakened to maximum sustained winds of 45 mph.
The storm's path is expected to take it along the Louisiana and upper Texas coasts through Thursday before moving further inland into Texas on Friday. Additional weakening is anticipated over the next two days.
The U.S. Gulf Coast is a critical region for oil and gas production, home to companies like Shell, BP, Chevron, and Occidental Petroleum. A significant refining corridor, accounting for about half of the nation's 18.4 million barrels per day capacity, also stretches along this coast.
Consulting firm Earth Science Associates forecasts that approximately 1.5 million barrels of oil production could be lost across the U.S. Gulf due to the storm. Companies identified as having the highest exposure include BP, Chevron, Murphy Oil, Shell, and Talos Energy.
In preparation, Chevron had already shut in production at its Petronius facility and evacuated personnel. BP also removed some non-essential personnel from its Thunder Horse and Na Kika platforms. The U.S. Gulf of Mexico's federal offshore waters produced nearly 2 million barrels per day of crude oil in March, representing about 14% of total U.S. output.