(Reuters) - Energy companies operating in the U.S. Gulf Coast have started to scale back operations and evacuate production locations in anticipation of the major hurricane this week, which is forecasted to sweep through offshore oil-producing areas.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said a Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine was expected to rapidly intensify over the Gulf of Mexico and could become a hurricane by Wednesday, strengthening into a major hurricane on Thursday.

The storm could bring the risk of life-threatening storm surge and damaging hurricane-force winds to the northeastern Gulf Coast and Florida Panhandle, according to the NHC.

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.

U.S. natural gas futures jumped and oil prices followed suit due to concerns that oil and gas producers along the Gulf Coast might scale back production in anticipation of a potential hurricane.[O/R][NGA/]

OPERATOR FACILITY DATE DETAILS

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 ( CVX ) 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.

Equinor ( EQNR ) 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.