MERIT ENERGY COMPANY

Hurricane Emergency
Action Plan
South Texas Operations

7/12/2022

Document contains information related to Merit Energy Company planning and response for a hurricane or
tropical storm that may impact production operations in South Texas.
Hurricane Emergency Action Plan

Purpose ......................................................................................................................................................... 2
Objectives ..................................................................................................................................................... 2
Definitions ..................................................................................................................................................... 2
Coordination of Key Functions ...................................................................................................................... 3
Response Plan ............................................................................................................................................... 4
1. Pre-Planning ...................................................................................................................................... 4
GENERAL ............................................................................................................................................... 4
DEVELOP PLANS .................................................................................................................................... 5
COMMUNICATIONS AND GENERATOR EQUIPMENT ............................................................................ 5
2. Hurricane Watch ................................................................................................................................... 5
GENERAL ............................................................................................................................................... 5
PRODUCING OPERATIONS .................................................................................................................... 6
3. Merit Hurricane Alert ........................................................................................................................... 6
GENERAL ............................................................................................................................................... 6
WEATHER MONITORING AND NOTIFICATION ...................................................................................... 6
MERIT HURRICANE ALERT DECLARED ................................................................................................... 7
SHUT-IN NOTIFICATION ........................................................................................................................ 7
EVACUATION PREPARATION ................................................................................................................. 7
4. Secure & Evacuate ............................................................................................................................... 7
GENERAL ............................................................................................................................................... 7
SECURE OPERATING FACILITIES ............................................................................................................ 8
RELEASING PERSONNEL ........................................................................................................................ 8
Emergency Response ............................................................................................................................ 8
5. Return to Work .................................................................................................................................... 9
GENERAL ............................................................................................................................................... 9
FACILITY INSPECTIONS .......................................................................................................................... 9
DETAILED SITE INSPECTION................................................................................................................. 10
Downstream Operators .............................................................................................................................. 10

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Hurricane Emergency Action Plan
Purpose
The purpose of this document is to provide maximum safety for all operating employees in the event
that any Merit Energy-South Texas installation is threatened by a storm. All precautions must be taken
sufficiently in advance of a hurricane to prevent increased risk to personnel when:

• Shutting in wells
• Securing equipment
• Evacuating the location
• Performing any other activity inherent to preparing for hurricanes or,
• Return-to-work after an evacuation

Objectives
The effectiveness of this action plan depends on the careful planning and close cooperation of all
employees. In all cases, the primary objective in implementing this process is the prioritization of the
following:
• To safeguard workers, the public, and physical assets
• To act responsibly toward the environment

Definitions
Hurricane – a large tropical storm with high powered circular winds.
• Category 1 – Winds of 74-95 mph,
• Category 2 – Winds of 96-110 mph
• Category 3 – Winds of 111-129 mph
• Category 4 – Winds of 130-156 mph
• Category 5 – Winds above 157 mph
Note: A Tropical Storm contains wind speeds of 39-73 mph

Hurricane Watch – weather conditions are favorable for a hazard to occur in a specified area. Watches
are usually issued 48 hours in advance of anticipated onset of tropical-storm-force winds.

Hurricane Warning – means a weather hazard is imminent and requires immediate action. Warnings are
issued 36 hours in advance of anticipated onset of tropical-storm-force winds.

Extreme Wind Warning – extreme sustained winds of a major hurricane (115 mph or greater), usually
associated with the eyewall, are expected to begin within an hour.

Hurricane Command Center – McAllen office incident command room; alternate location is the McCook
office.

Eye of the Storm - If the center or the eye of the storm passes directly overhead there is a lull in the
wind that may last anywhere from a few minutes to a half hour. Stay in a safe place. If you must make
emergency repairs do so quickly as the wind will return suddenly, potentially with even greater violence.

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Hurricane Emergency Action Plan
Hurricane Season – June 1 through November 30th
Coordination of Key Functions
The table below describes the key functions during a hurricane.
Responsible Parties
Operations Manager
Supervision (All)
Production Foremen
HSE Personnel
Public Affairs & Landman
Field Operations Personnel
All other Personnel
July 13, 2022
Activity
Heads up the Hurricane Command Center (HCC).
Coordinates activities related to hurricane preparedness, planning
and execution. Maintains communications with field supervision.
Updates Region Managers as needed.
Monitor conditions for planning purposes, coordinates response
activities and equipment requirements as approved. Maintain
communications with contractors and field employees as needed.
Assists in planning and coordination of response. Certain personnel
may be members of the HCC.
Inspect on-site conditions, as needed, to determine whether
emergency precautions must be initiated prior to the time forecast
by commercial weather advisories.
Member of the HCC. Maintains storm plot, document briefings,
coordinates regulatory reporting.
Assists in planning and coordination of response.
Members of the HCC. Provide advice and support as needed.
Coordinate communication activities.
Advise Production Foremen of local weather on a frequent basis,
particularly any indication of worsening conditions.
Be readily available to provide support on an as-needed basis.
Certain personnel may be members of the HCC.
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Hurricane Emergency Action Plan
Response Plan
Note: The Weather Bureau’s “Hurricane Warning” roughly corresponds to Merit’s Hurricane Alert;
these steps are not meant to correspond with the Weather Bureau’s advisories.

Activity /Steps Description

Pre-Planning Actions taken to prepare for the hurricane season.

Hurricane Watch Actions taken when a hurricane is forecast to follow a path near Merit Energy - South
Texas field operations.
Merit Hurricane Actions taken when the HCC (Hurricane Command Center) declares an alert, which
Alert typically occurs within 72 hours of a storm’s approach.
Note: Early evacuations—those that typically do not result in the shut in of significant
production volumes—may occur during this phase.

Secure & Actions taken once the order to secure and evacuate has been approved by Operations
Evacuate Manager.

Upon completion of “securing” procedures:

Communicate weather briefings, evacuation/re-deployment status and strategy
meetings.
• Strategy meeting(s) - develop planned actions covering 3-5 days; with the first couple
of days requiring 1-2 meetings of less than 45 minutes; with increasing meeting
frequency of as often as every 3 hours.
• Commitment, by each field area to provide a coordinator/focal point having the
responsibility and authority to speak for operations is essential to the safe and
efficient evacuations/re-deployments given the sensitivity of time/limited resources
and typical weather windows.
• All strategies and actions will be approved by Operations Manager and will be
communicated to all affected personnel, contractors and other Merit personnel.
The continuity of the individuals involved is critical to the decision making process
which affects the success of an evacuation/re-deployment.
Evacuation and re-deployment and planning for re-deployment may be on-going
simultaneously.
Return to Work Actions taken to return operations, equipment and personnel to work.

1. Pre-Planning
GENERAL
The following is a list of minimum pre-season preparation procedures that each location should have in
place by June 1.

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Hurricane Emergency Action Plan
• Loose material should be kept to a minimum and adequately stored and secured
• Prepare or have readily available generic hurricane tracking charts
• Stocks of materials needed to secure equipment should be checked and replenished
• Ensure that sufficient polyethylene and rope are available to wrap and tie down exposed critical
equipment
• Determine if any special transportation needs are required.

DEVELOP PLANS
Identify High-Risk Locations. All wells where damage to well head equipment could result in wells
blowing out of control or causing significant pollution should be identified.

A plan to secure these wells by use of a blanking plug or back pressure valve should be developed and
documented. Exceptions for mechanical condition, low risk and protected wells should also be
documented.

Operations should review and update this plan any time a hurricane enters the Gulf of Mexico.

Note: The plan should include temporarily abandoned (TA), shut in (SI), and off-production wells.

COMMUNICATIONS AND GENERATOR EQUIPMENT

• Verify that batteries are charged and purchase spare batteries where needed.
• Test-run the standby (communications) generators and check coolant levels, lube oil levels and
fuel levels.

2. Hurricane Watch
GENERAL
When weather bulletins and consultant advisories indicate a storm might follow a path near field
operations, HSE Personnel and Operations Leadership will review and evaluate each bulletin.

The Operations Manager will maintain communications with field operations and Area Region
Manager(s)

Weather forecasts are available from computer, television and radio, and there is a regular weather
advisory available from NOAA Weather Radio.

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PRODUCING OPERATIONS
Units that do not have access to regular weather advisories should make arrangements to obtain
advisories by telecopy or telephone communications. Notify Field Supervision of any unusual
developments immediately.

All loose items should be secured, as described in the table below.

Item or Equipment Expectation

Loose material on locations Be moved under cover or firmly secured.
(includes fire and safety
equipment)
Guy wires and tie-downs Be checked.
Empty drums, oxygen or Stored, tied down and firmly secured.
acetylene containers

All round bolted API and fiberglass/plastic storage tanks should be filled to a minimum of one-half full.

Operations should monitor vehicle fuel tanks frequently to be sure enough fuel is available for
evacuation activities.

Communication / electrical personnel should ensure that the standby generators and essential
communications equipment are in operating condition.

3. Merit Hurricane Alert

GENERAL
A Merit Hurricane Alert typically occurs when the gale force winds (defined as greater than 34 knots)
from a named storm are within 72 hours of field operations.

The Operations Manager or their designate has the authority to place the asset on Hurricane Alert.

Field operations that take more than 24 hours to complete should not be field started without prior
Operations Manager concurrence.

Non-essential field personnel may be released, with approval of the Operations Manager.

WEATHER MONITORING AND NOTIFICATION

Since local weather conditions or transportation limitations may force early evacuation at some
locations, it is especially important that these conditions be closely monitored.

Personnel who work at a facility that is shut-down prior to a general evacuation should be reassigned to
assist those working at facilities still in operation at that same installation.

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Hurricane Emergency Action Plan
The table below describes weather condition notification responsibilities

Responsible Party Activities

Operating personnel in
the field
Production Foremen
• Advise foremen of weather conditions on a frequent basis.
• Inspect on-site conditions as needed, to determine whether
emergency precautions must be initiated prior to the time
forecast by weather advisories, and
• Report any indications of worsening local conditions to the HCC.

MERIT HURRICANE ALERT DECLARED

After a hurricane alert is declared, area leadership establishes an around-the-clock watch. Each field
location must be advised by their Production Foreman of the appropriate Merit Energy – South Texas
extension or home numbers for contact during this period.

SHUT-IN NOTIFICATION
In the event of a potential shut-in, the Operations Manager will coordinate all communications to the
appropriate downstream marketing and transportation entities.

EVACUATION PREPARATION
Operations Manager or designee should secure the services of special transportation if needed to
facilitate evacuation.
Locations to the immediate East of the eye of a Southerly approaching hurricane take precedence over
locations to the West.
When a Merit Hurricane Alert is declared, construction operations should halt immediately. Work has
begun securing all structures, such as templates or deck sections already installed, so that the location
may be abandoned in a condition that will best withstand the hurricane with a minimum of loss or
damage.

4. Secure & Evacuate

GENERAL
In abnormal operations of this kind (securing assets, evacuation, redeployment), take extreme care in all
of your actions. Remain calm and focused on safely completing your tasks.

The Operations Manager or designate will authorize all secure-and-evacuate notifications.

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SECURE OPERATING FACILITIES

Operations personnel are responsible for securing producing operation facilities in accordance with
established procedures and considering the following information.

• Valves that are opened or closed during evacuation should be flagged to allow easy return to
production after the storm. If these valves are not listed in a site-specific plan, a written list
should be developed and left for the returning personnel to aid in operating the facility.
• Valves on wellheads and sales lines must be closed.

Maintain an accurate headcount and ensure personnel are accounted for, communicate to the HCC.

Foremen or their designate are to oversee their area of responsibility to safely shutdown and secure
facilities.

Communications with external parties will be coordinated by the Operations Manager.

RELEASING PERSONNEL
Once the equipment has been secured, the Operations Manager determines whether operating
personnel may be given the option of returning home or stand-by at a safe location.

Foremen are to:

• Ensure that all personnel and critical contractors provide phone numbers where they can be
reached during and after the storm, and
• Provide personnel with ways they contact their supervisor as well.
• Foremen are to notify the Operations Manager as soon as evacuation has been successfully
completed.

Emergency Response
If an emergency develops follow the established STX ERP Communications procedures.

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5. Return to Work
GENERAL
The authority to return-to-work is granted by the Operations Manager or their designate.

Foreman will coordinate the return of their personnel (employees or contractors) with the highest
priority being the safety of personnel, public and the environment.

Prior to start-up of any facility the Operations Manager is to ensure that downstream facilities are able
to accept production.

FACILITY INSPECTIONS
Facilities that have experienced hurricane force winds must be inspected prior to start-up activities
being undertaken.

Where facilities have not been impacted but were shut-in as a precautionary measure a formal
inspection is not required. However, it is expected that operating personnel will assess their areas and if
safe to do so and authority has been provided, they may undertake start-up procedures as per normal.

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DETAILED SITE INSPECTION

The function of an inspection team is to:

• Determine if producing and process locations are above water and accessible
• Assure all grating, handrails, etc. are intact. All unsafe areas should be marked as such and
locations communicated to all personnel before any other work commences.
• Check the condition of the communications equipment
• Check the status of facilities and pipelines
• Photograph damage for insurance and reference purposes
• Detail the work required to resume production, and replace or service damaged equipment
• Summarize the overall situation

Communicate with the area office to assist in directing support operations.

Downstream Operators
The companies below purchase gas from Merit Energy in South Texas:

Company Contact Phone Number

DCP Midstream R.A. Mireles 361-675-0630

Enterprise Gilmore Plan Fred Flores 956-607-8331
Enterprise Delmita Plant Cesar Alaniz 956-607-0108
Enterprise Gilmore Plant Billy Melton 956-369-8754
Energy Transfer (Mariposa) Robert Detert 361-522-4379
Energy Transfer Laredo) Art Sillier 956-286-3862
Kinder Morgan (Laredo) BJ Palumbo 956-722-3686
Kinder Morgan (McAllen) Fabian Quintanilla 956-486-2216
Hillcorp (Laredo) Rafael Guerra 956-408-9611

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