Storm Rafael threatens Gulf of Mexico oil production of up to 4 million barrels per day
A new storm, Rafael, may threaten up to 4 million barrels per day of oil production in the Gulf of Mexico. It could strengthen to a Category 2 hurricane and impact between 3.1 million and 4.9 million barrels daily. Rafael is currently near Cuba, which is recovering from recent hurricane damage. If it follows its projected path, it could become the second most disruptive storm of the season, following Hurricane Francine. This hurricane season has already seen significant disruptions, with forecasts predicting up to 25 named storms. The energy industry is on alert for potential weather-related production outages.