Offshore oil and gas operators in the Gulf have halted operations because of Tropical Storm Harvey.

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement's Hurricane Response Team reported Monday, personnel have been evacuated from a total of 98 of the 737 manned platforms in the Gulf of Mexico.

As part of the evacuation process, personnel activate the applicable shut-in procedure, which can frequently be completed from a remote location. This process closes safety valves located below the surface of the ocean floor to prevent the release of oil or gas.

The BSEE reported during previous hurricane seasons, the shut-in valves functioned 100 percent of the time.

It 's estimated that approximately 19 percent of the current oil production in the Gulf of Mexico has been shut-in, which equates to more than 331-thousand barrels of oil per day. It is also estimated that approximately 18 percent of the natural gas production has been shut-in as well.

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