Highlights Shell evacuating Perdido platform, shuting in production Tropical Storm Beta expected to reach hurricane strength No threat to area refineries yet Houston The first evacuations and crude oil shut-ins from deepwater platforms began Sept. 18 from the western Gulf of Mexico in advance of Tropical Storm Beta that’s coming on the heels of Hurricane Sally in the eastern Gulf. Beta, which strengthened into a named storm on Sept. 18 and could become a hurricane in two days, is meandering toward the Texas coastline just as oil producers are bringing crews back to platforms and rigs in the eastern Gulf and ramping production back up after Sally targeted Alabama and Florida. Shell said it initiated some evacuations and shut in production from its most western Gulf platform, Perdido, and will continue to monitor other facilities. “As […]