About the 17% of crude oil production and the 7% of natural gas production in the US Gulf of Mexico has been closed due to Hurricane Rafael, the US Environmental Protection Agency announced on Wednesday.

Energy producers had closed at 304,418 barrels per day of oil production and nearly 131 million cubic feet of natural gas from Gulf waters, the bureau said.

Hurricane Rafael has strengthened to a “Category 3” on the five-point Saffir-Simpson scale as it approaches the western coast of Cuba, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) announced today.

Cyclone Rafael is located about 135 kilometers south of Havana, with sustained winds of up to 185 km/h, according to the update from the NHC. “It is expected to bring life-threatening storm surges, damaging winds and flooding to parts of western Cuba,” it says.

Oil and gas producers began shutting down production in the Gulf of Mexico and pulling workers off rigs this week ahead of a late-season storm that threatens offshore fields.

Eleven production platforms, about 3% of the entire Gulf of Mexicoand one rig were evacuated, the offshore regulator said, citing reports from producers.

The U.S. Gulf of Mexico accounts for about 15 percent of total domestic oil production and 2 percent of natural gas production, according to federal data.