Gulf of Mexico Disturbance Turns into Tropical Storm Harold - Rigzone News

Gulf of Mexico Disturbance Turns into Tropical Storm Harold | Rigzone

Gulf of Mexico Disturbance Turns into Tropical Storm Harold

An unnamed disturbance the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) was tracking in the Gulf of Mexico yesterday has turned into Tropical Storm Harold, the NHC site shows.

As of 4am CDT, Tropical Storm Harold had maximum sustained winds of 45 miles per hour and an 18 mile per hour west-northwesterly movement, according to the site.

“Heavy rainfall from Tropical Storm Harold is expected across South Texas through early Wednesday and may produce areas of flash and urban flooding,” a statement posted on the NHC site at 4am CDT noted.

“Across portions of northern Coahuila and northern Nuevo Leon in Mexico, flash flooding and possible landslides in mountainous terrain is expected Tuesday through Wednesday,” the statement added.

“Coastal flooding is possible along the south Texas coast today through Tuesday evening,” the statement continued.

Rigzone contacted the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) late Monday and asked the organization if it anticipated that oil and gas production in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico would have to be shut in as a result of the disturbance. At the time of writing, the BSEE has not yet responded to Rigzone.

In addition to Tropical Storm Harold, the NHC is tracking four other disturbances in the Atlantic at the time of writing. These comprise Tropical Storm Franklin, Tropical Depression Gert, and two other unnamed disturbances.

According to the NHC site, Tropical Storm Franklin had maximum sustained winds of 50 miles per hour and a three mile per hour northwesterly movement, as of 5am EDT, and Tropical Depression Gert had maximum sustained winds of 30 miles per hour and an eight mile per hour west-northwesterly movement, as of 5am AST.

One of the unnamed disturbances is situated in the Eastern Tropical Atlantic and has a 30 percent chance of cyclone formation in 48 hours, as of 2am EDT, the NHC site shows. The other is situated in the Central Tropical Atlantic and has a zero percent chance of cyclone formation in 48 hours, as of 2am EDT, according to the site.

At the time of writing, the BSEE is not reporting any production outages related to the disturbances the NHC is currently tracking in the Atlantic.

In a statement posted on its website on Monday, the American Red Cross noted that the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season “is heating up as the National Hurricane Center tracks at least five storm systems in the Atlantic Ocean”.

“One of these is set to reach the southern end of Texas Tuesday. The American Red Cross is monitoring these storms to respond if needed and urges people who live in areas which are prone to hurricanes to get ready now,” the organization added in the statement.

“In Texas, some areas could see as much as seven inches of rain Tuesday and Wednesday which could lead to flooding. A storm surge could also cause flooding and large waves near the coast,” the American Red Cross continued.

Atlantic weather systems have severely affected oil and gas operations in the Gulf of Mexico in the past. For example, at its peak, Hurricane Ida shut in 95.65 percent of Gulf of Mexico oil production on August 29, 2021, and 94.47 percent of Gulf of Mexico gas production on August 31, 2021, BSEE figures show.

In October 2020, the BSEE estimated at one point that approximately 84.8 percent of oil production and 57.6 percent of natural gas production in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico had been shut-in as a result of Storm Zeta. Several other storms affected U.S. oil and gas production in 2020, including Hurricane Delta, Hurricane Sally, Hurricane Laura, and Tropical Storm Cristobal.

In a statement posted on its website earlier this month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) revealed that scientists at its climate prediction center had increased their prediction for the ongoing 2023 Atlantic hurricane season from a near-normal level of activity to an above-normal level of activity.

To contact the author, email andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com

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Andreas ExarheasEditor | Rigzone

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