Oil producers on Friday have shut-in 59% of Gulf of Mexico crude production as the ninth-named storm of the season barreled towards the key U.S. offshore oilfields, according to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). Some 49% of U.S. Gulf of Mexico natural gas production was also shut ahead of the storm, according a report released by BSEE. Hurricane Ida was about 145 miles from the western tip of Cuba on Friday and moving toward the Gulf of Mexico at about 15 miles (24 km) per hour. With winds of 75 mph, it is expected to become a major hurricane and strike the Louisiana coast over the weekend, according to the National Hurricane Center. The U.S. Gulf of Mexico accounts for roughly 17% of the nation’s oil production, totaling about 1.7 million barrels per day, and 5% of its dry gas production, according […]