Sept 23 (Reuters) - U.S. offshore oil producers were

taking initial steps ahead of a storm predicted to become a

hurricane in the middle of the week, evacuating non-essential

staff from Gulf of Mexico production platforms.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said that the potential

tropical cyclone system Nine near the western tip of Cuba was

expected to develop into a hurricane on Wednesday as it moves

across the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

It could also turn into a major hurricane when it reaches

the northeastern Gulf Coast on Thursday, including the Florida

Panhandle and portions of the Florida west coast, with "risk of

life-threatening storm surge and damaging hurricane-force

winds."

Storm path attribution: LSEG

Chevron ( CVX ) said it was beginning evacuations of

non-essential staff from certain Gulf of Mexico facilities.

Meanwhile, Shell said on Sunday it would shut

production at its Stones and Appomattox facilities in the Gulf

of Mexico as a precautionary measure, along with evacuating

non-essential staff from its assets in the Mars Corridor.

Both companies said that these decisions had not yet

impacted their production.

The next name on the list of named storms is Helene, and

according to private weather forecaster AccuWeather, it could

make landfall as a Category 3 hurricane and potentially

strengthen into a Category 4.