Robert Bensh, an oil and gas industry expert, shares his insights on the impact that hurricanes have on the oil and gas industry, especially in the gulf. Every year hurricanes take a heavy toll on oil and gas production rates. They impact offshore activities and cause production plants to be shut down. Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Katrina are two hurricanes that had a major impact. Despite this, the oil has remained extremely resilient and professionals, including Robert Bensh himself, are constantly adapting their strategies. This content was originally published on RobertBensh.net.

1. THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY
H O W H U R R I C A N E S I M P A C T
R O B E R T B E N S H

2. Every year hurricanes take
dozens of lives and result
in millions of dollars worth
of infrastructure damage
throughout the Caribbean
and the Gulf Coast.
Hurricanes also take a
heavy toll on the oil and
gas industry.

3. The season averages 10.1 named storms with
an average of 5.9 storms that turn into
hurricanes.
HURRICANE SEASON
Hurricane Season begins
June 1 and ends
November 30.

4. 1961 The Gulf of Mexico is an important source
of oil and natural gas. The Gulf’s federal
offshore oil production is responsible
for 17% of total US crude oil production.
The Gulf doesn’t just account for much of
the country’s crude oil production, but it
also accounts for 5% of US dry production
of offshore natural gas.
Oil and Gas
Production in the Gulf
17%
of total US crude
oil production is
from the Gulf

5. HURRICANES MAJORLY
INFLUENCE OFFSHORE
ACTIVITIES.
Hurricanes majorly affect offshore
activities. For example, Hurricane Harvey
caused 20% of oil and 25% of natural gas
production platforms to be shut down.

6. Impact on
Refineries
Hurricanes don’t just impact offshore
production. They also slow onshore
refining operations through flooding and
other dangerous weather conditions.
10
DURING HURRICANE HARVEY,
INDUSTRY LEADERS HAD
TO CLOSE
MAJOR REFINIERIES
EVEN AFTER THE WATERS
RECEDED, WORKERS COULDN’T
REACH THE REFINERIES DUE TO
FLOODED ROADWAYS.

7. THE INDUSTRY’S
RESILIENCE
Just a few years ago, Hurricane Harvey
stopped roughly a quarter of offshore
production and over one fifth of the
region’s refining capacity. Despite this,
production in the region has made an
incredible comeback.

8. This is in part due to the lessons during
Hurricane Katrina. This hurricane caused the
industry to go through significant changes.
For example, the American Petroleum
Institute updated the requirements for the
height of offshore oil platforms to ensure
they would be protected from hurricane-
induced waves.
LESSONS LEARNED

9. Experts now invest more time into
monitoring and predicting weather
patterns. They study how hurricanes
influenced past operations and take those
factors into consideration when creating
future plans for emergencies. Because of
these disaster recovery plans, the effects
of hurricanes are far less extreme.

10. These storms harm offshore activities and shut
down refineries. The industry is always evolving
in an attempt to be better prepared for these
occurrences and mitigate any damage. Moving
forward, preparation will continue to be the
key to the industry’s resilience and adaptability.
Hurricanes have a major impact
on the US oil and gas industry.