The decrease is barely 3 percent of the 10,500-mile Transco’s average capacity of 8.4 billion cubic feet per day, but Tulsa-based Williams is shutting down some coastal processing and moving employees as a safety precaution. Ida, which was downgraded from a hurricane Monday, should hit the Gulf Coast on Tuesday morning, forecasters said.

A Williams spokeswoman, Julie Gentz, said Williams’ Canyon Station and Devils Tower offshore platforms were evacuated. The Williams Mobile Bay gas processing center in Coden, Ala., also was shut down because of low natural gas volumes.

“Too soon to say when employees will return to offshore facilities, but in general, as soon as it’s safe,” Gentz said.

Ida would have been the first hurricane to make U.S. landfall this season. Heavy rains in Ida’s wake caused flooding and landslides last week that killed more than 100 peoplel in El Salvador.

Hurricanes Gustav and Ike temporarily halted production for Williams and other area energy producers or transporters last year.

Transco moves natural gas from throughout the Gulf Coast to markets in the East and Northeast.