Hurricane Isaias threatens to drive gas prices higher as oil production slows down in the Gulf

The timing of Hurricane Isaias is raising new concerns for everyday Americans already feeling the pinch of rising costs.More than 60% of Gulf oil production has already been shut down due to the storm, according to the U.S. Marine Minerals Administration’s Thursday report.The Marine Minerals Administration also reported that about 57% of natural gas production in the Gulf has been shut down. More than 120 offshore platforms have been evacuated — roughly 33% of the Gulf’s 371 total manned platforms. Major oil companies including Chevron, BP and Shell have already scaled back non-essential workers and operations.The administration’s report indicated about 1.28 million barrels a day in the Gulf have been shut down, compared to an average of nearly 2 million barrels per day. Nearly 15% of total U.S. crude oil output comes from the Gulf. The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management says 99% of all U.S. Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas production comes from the Gulf.Tom Kloza, Chief Energy