Chevron operates four facilities remotely during Hurricane Isaias

Photo: Chevron

BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 16. Chevron safely operated four offshore facilities remotely during Hurricane Isaias in the Gulf of America, allowing production to continue after nearly 870 workers were evacuated to shore, the company said on October 15.

The company activated its Hurricane Evacuation Remote Operations (HERO) capabilities to manage offshore facilities threatened by severe weather while protecting personnel.

Using the technology, Chevron produced more than 800,000 barrels of oil equivalent, supporting US energy supplies. According to the company, this volume could be used to produce nearly 15 million gallons of gasoline or approximately 8 million gallons of diesel.

At certain stages of the storm response, four Chevron facilities continued operating in HERO mode, while another platform outside the affected area maintained normal operations.

“Activating HERO mode on a deepwater production facility is a major milestone within the industry in the Gulf of America,” said Jacqueline Popham, an integrated operations manager for Chevron’s Gulf of America business.

She noted that Chevron had applied experience gained from its operations in Australia, where the company had safely operated floating facilities during cyclone-related evacuations.

“Using similar technology, we safely operated four facilities remotely from our Covington, Louisiana, office,” Popham said.

Refinery and terminals maintain operations

Chevron also took measures to maintain fuel supplies as the hurricane approached. The company’s Pascagoula Refinery on the Mississippi Gulf Coast remained operational throughout the storm, while supply teams monitored regional inventories, arranged resupply and tracked changes in demand.

In Florida, the Panama City terminal experienced minimal disruption, while the Tampa and Port Everglades terminals remained open.

Coordination between the refinery, terminals and the regional supply network helped the company maintain fuel availability for consumers during the hurricane response.

Offshore operations resume after storm

As weather conditions improved, Chevron deployed helicopters to return offshore personnel to their facilities and began restoring affected operations.

The company reported no significant impacts to its facilities. Crews continued working to bring production back online, with safety and environmental protection remaining key priorities alongside the maintenance of reliable energy supplies.