Energy industry continues evacuating the Gulf of Mexico in advance of Hurricane Ike

The New Orleans Time-Picayune reports that the offshore energy industry continues to evacuate workers from the Gulf of Mexico in advance of Hurricane Ike.

As of late this morning, 96 percent of Gulf of Mexico oil production was shut in because of the approaching storm, according to the Minerals Management Service, the federal agency that oversees drilling. Approximately 73 percent of the Gulf's natural gas production has also been shut in.

BP and Stone Energy of Lafayette are in the process of completing their evacuations and shutting down their Gulf facilities today.

Shell has evacuated 193 offshore workers and plans to evacuate the remaining 47 by the end of the day on Thursday.

Some 63 percent of the platforms in the Gulf and 67 percent of the rigs in the Gulf have been evacuated. Platforms are the offshore structures from which oil and natural gas are produced. Rigs are offshore drilling facilities.