Shell Pauses Gulf of Mexico Drilling Ops, Moves Personnel to Shore Amid Hurricane Forecast

Vito platform (Credit: Shell)

Shell has paused some drilling operations in the Gulf of Mexico and moved non-essential personnel to shore amid weather disturbance which could become a hurricane.

As a precautionary measure, Shell started moving non-essential personnel to shore from its Appomattox, Vito, Ursa, Mars, Auger, and Enchilada/Salsa assets, and safely pause some drilling operations on November 4, 2024.

The company is currently monitoring the weather conditions. Shell noted that there are no other impacts on its production across the Gulf of Mexico.

“We will continue to monitor weather reports and respond accordingly. As always, the safety of our people, the environment and our assets is Shell’s top priority,” the company said in a statement.

The weather disturbance could likely strengthen from tropical storm to a hurricane, on November 5, 2024, according to the National Hurricane Center.