Enbridge said on Monday that it declared force majeure on its offshore Nautilus natural gas pipeline system after some Gulf of Mexico producers shut in supply as a precaution against Tropical Storm Alex.

Company spokeswoman Terri Larson told Reuters daily gas production approaching 100 million cubic feet was shut in on the 103-mile, 600 mmcfd capacity Nautilus line.

Enbridge was forced to cut some scheduled deliveries starting Monday until further notice, according to a company website posting.

Nonessential personnel were also evacuated from the company's Garden Banks platform offshore Louisiana, and from the Stingray platform, also offshore Louisiana, which is half owned by Enbridge, Larson said.

Tropical Storm Alex moved into the western Caribbean on Monday after crossing Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula over the weekend.

The storm is expected to strengthen into a hurricane by Tuesday, but computer tracking shows the system moving northwest toward the Mexico-Texas coast, well south of key U.S. oil and gas producing and refining facilities.

(Reporting by Jeanine Prezioso)

Mexico Storm