*

Exxon evacuates staff, Shell pauses drilling at platforms

*

Francine forecast to become 4th hurricane of season by

Wednesday

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US Coast Guard sets port condition X-Ray

(Adds companies' comments, details on storm, updates

conditions)

By Georgina McCartney

HOUSTON, Sept 9 (Reuters) - U.S. Gulf of Mexico oil and

gas producers were evacuating staff and curbing drilling to

prepare for Tropical Storm Francine on Monday as it churned

through the energy region on a path to bring high winds and

drenching rains to the U.S. mid-South.

Francine

is likely to bring life-threatening storm surge to the

upper Texas and Louisiana coasts and hurricane-force winds to

Southern Louisiana this week. Residents of Calcasieu Parish in

Louisiana on Monday were supplied with sandbags and other

materials to combat the expected storm surge, officials said.

Exxon Mobil ( XOM ) said it shut-in output and evacuated

staff from its Hoover offshore production platform. Shell

said it was pausing drilling operations at its Perdido

and Whale offshore platforms on Monday.

Chevron ( CVX ) was focused on the safety of its

workforce, integrity of its facilities and protecting the

environment, the company said. BP was unavailable for

immediate comment. Occidental Petroleum ( OXY ) said it was

prepared to implement storm plans as appropriate.

The storm is moving through the U.S. Gulf of Mexico

waters and predicted to become the fourth hurricane of the

Atlantic season by

Wednesday

. The hurricane season runs to Nov. 30.

The U.S. Coast Guard has imposed restrictions for vessel

navigation in some Texas ports, including the port of Corpus

Christi. The ports of Freeport and Galveston, Texas, and New

Orleans, were open to vessel traffic on Monday.

The storm's path would put U.S. oil and gas producing

facilities and liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plants at

risk. U.S. Gulf of Mexico federal offshore waters account for

about 15% of total U.S. crude oil and 2% of natural gas

production.

Freeport LNG, which operates the nation's second-largest LNG

export plant, said it had begun storm preparations without

providing details. Port of Freeport, Texas, said it was open to

commercial traffic, but vessels must report movements.

Texas officials called on residents to prepare for tropical

storm conditions along its coast.

"A severe storm system with the potential to bring flash

flooding threats and heavy rain is expected to impact the Gulf

Coast this week," Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham said.