(Reuters) -Energy facilities along the U.S. Gulf Coast scaled back operations and evacuated some production sites as Hurricane Helene is expected to bring catastrophic winds and storm surges to the northeastern Gulf Coast.

On the forecast track, Helene will move across the eastern Gulf of Mexico on Thursday and cross the Florida Big Bend coast this evening, the National Hurricane Center said.

Hurricane Helene is forecast to be a powerful Category 4 storm, packing sustained wind speeds of up to 156 miles per hour (251 km per hour), forecasters said.

Officials issued dire warnings, pleading with residents in coastal areas along the hurricane's path to evacuate ahead of catastrophic winds and a potentially deadly storm surge.

About 29% of crude production and 17% of natural gas output in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico were shut in response to Helene, the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said on Wednesday.

Offshore production in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico accounts for approximately 1.8 million barrels per day or about 15% of the nation's total crude output. Disruptions have the potential to affect U.S. oil supplies, leading to upward pressure on prices for domestic oil and offshore crude grades.

OPERATOR FACILITY DATE DETAILS

Sept. 25 All Kinder Morgan bulk

KinderMorgan terminals in the Tampa area have

prepared for the storm and have

been shut down.

Shell Stones and Appomattox Sept. 22 Evacuating

facilities non-essential personnel from its

assets in the Mars Corridor, have

paused some of their drilling

operations, and shut production at

its Stones and Appomattox

facilities in the Gulf of Mexico.

Chevron Blind Faith, Petronius, Sept. 23 Evacuated all personnel from Blind

Anchor, Big Foot, Jack/St. Faith and Petronius platforms and

Malo, and Tahiti platform the facilities have been shut-in.

Non-essential personnel were also

being transported from Anchor, Big

Foot, Jack/St. Malo, and Tahiti

platforms.

Sept. 25 Shut-in production and

evacuated all associated personnel

at the platforms, which includes

the Anchor, Big Foot, Blind Faith,

Jack/St. Malo, Petronius and

Tahiti facilities.

Equinor Titan oil production platform Sept. 23 Evacuated some staff

from its Titan oil production

platform in the U.S. Gulf of

Mexico.

BP Argos, Atlantis, Mad Dog, Na Sept. 23 Removed non-essential

Kika and Thunder Horse personnel from Argos, Atlantis,

platform Mad Dog, Na Kika and Thunder Horse

platforms. Shut in production at

Na Kika and Thunder Horse

platforms, and curtailed

production from Argos and Atlantis

platforms.

Sept. 25 Working toward safely

ramping up production across Gulf

of Mexico portfolio.

(Reporting by Bangalore Commodities and Energy team)