HOUSTON (Reuters) - U.S. Gulf of Mexico oil and gas production is returning to near normal levels three days after Hurricane Michael made landfall on the Florida Panhandle, data from an offshore regulator showed on Saturday, with oil output off 19 percent and natural gas production down less than 10 percent.
The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) also said in an midday update that only one evacuated production platform was still unoccupied, down from 89 platforms on Wednesday. It can take several days after a storm passes to inspect platforms for damages, fully return crews and restore production after wells are shut-in ahead of a storm.
