Many of the largest oil and natural gas producers in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) were on high alert Wednesday, evacuating personnel and preparing to shut in more than a dozen offshore facilities ahead of a tropical disturbance that some forecasters predict will become a hurricane by week’s end.

Tropical Storm Barry

Based on data from offshore operator reports submitted as of 11:30 CT Wednesday, around 17.85% of the natural gas production, or 496.2 MMcf/d in the GOM has been shut-in, according to the Interior Department’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). There also was about 31.89% of the current oil production shut-in, which equates to 602,715 b/d.

Personnel had been evacuated from a total of 15 production platforms, or 2.24% of the 669 manned platforms, BSEE said. Unlike...