US supermajor Chevron has begun weather-related shutdowns in the US Gulf of Mexico as tropical storm Bertha approaches, pulling personnel off offshore assets and suspending output at its Petronius facility, according to Splash247.
Evacuation and Shut-in Operations
Chevron said production at Petronius has been shut in and all associated personnel moved onshore. Additionally, nonessential staff have been removed from its Tubular Bells and Blind Faith platforms as part of storm preparations. Production from other Chevron-operated Gulf of Mexico assets remained at normal levels, the company stated.
Production Impact Estimates
The weather system, which started as Tropical Depression Two, strengthened into tropical storm Bertha late on Monday. The National Hurricane Centre issued a tropical storm watch from the Ochlockonee River in Florida westward to the Jefferson/Plaquemines Parish border in Louisiana. Forecasters expect the storm to strengthen gradually over the next two days.
A forecast model from consulting firm Earth Science Associates estimates about 2 million barrels of oil production could be affected over the course of the storm, a sharp increase from the 10,000 barrels affected by tropical storm Arthur last month, due to the larger number of higher-production platforms in the storm’s path.
| Tropical Storm | Estimated Production Affected (barrels) | Month |
|---|---|---|
| Arthur | 10,000 | June 2026 |
| Bertha | 2,000,000 | July 2026 |
Source: Earth Science Associates via Splash247
Preparations and Monitoring
Chevron said it is following storm preparedness procedures at its onshore facilities and will continue monitoring the weather closely. “We remain focused on the safety of our workforce, the integrity of our facilities and the protection of the environment,” the company said, according to Splash247.
For commodity traders and analysts, the shut-in of major Gulf of Mexico platforms such as Petronius represents a near-term supply disruption in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, a key crude oil producing region. The estimated 2 million barrels of potential production loss is a significant volume compared to last month's Arthur impact, highlighting the concentration of high-output platforms in Bertha's path.
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