BP stands pat despite Gulf weather threats

HOUSTON, June 15 (UPI) -- Operations in the Gulf of Mexico are currently operating and normal, though BP said it was monitoring closely an unnamed tropical disturbance.

"BP is closely monitoring the disturbance in the Gulf to ensure the safety of our workers and operations in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico," the company said in a statement. "At this time, normal operations continue at all BP-operated offshore facilities."

The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates the Gulf of Mexico accounts for about 17 percent of total U.S. oil production. About half of the total production in the Gulf of Mexico was cut in 2005, which at the time was around 846,000 barrels per day, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Monday it had aircraft monitoring the storm activity associated with the disturbance as it moves east from the Mexican coast.

The storm center said a tropical depression or tropical storm "could form at any time" before the system is forecast to hit the Texas coast sometime Tuesday morning.

"Regardless of tropical cyclone formation, tropical storm conditions are possible along portions of the middle and upper Texas coast and the western Louisiana coast Monday night and Tuesday," Monday's forecast read. "The system is also likely to bring heavy rainfall with possible flooding across portions of eastern Texas and western Louisiana."

BP said from its storm prediction center it was prepared for, and monitoring, any major weather event.