UPDATE 1-Oilfields halt production as gales hit Australian coast

SYDNEY Jan 1 (Reuters) - Three leading oil and gas companies said on Saturday gale force winds, possibly developing into a cyclone, had led to production being halted at oil fields off the Western Australian coast.

Woodside Petroleum said it had suspended production at three oil fields, while Apache Energy, an Australian subsidiary of the U.S.-based Apache Corp. , said it had suspended production at two oil fields and evacuated staff.

Chevron Australia, part of the U.S.-based Chevron Corp. , also said it had evacuated non-essential staff and was suspending some oil production.

Australia's Bureau of Meteorology has issued a tropical cyclone warning for the weather system, currently classified as a tropical low, which is moving along the coast offshore of Western Australia's mineral-rich Pilbara region.

The bureau said on Saturday the system could still develop into a tropical cyclone but had not strengthened overnight and was moving parallel to the coast in a west-southwesterly direction. Gales could be expected along the coast, the bureau said.

"Woodside has shut in production from the Vincent and Enfield oil fields off the coast of Exmouth, and the Cossack Pioneer on the North West Shelf in response to the tropical low off the Pilbara coast," Woodside said in a brief statement.

A Woodside spokeswoman told Reuters it was unclear how long the stoppage at the three fields would be in force.

"We will continue to monitor the low and wait to see what happens," she said.

A spokesman for Apache Energy said production had been suspended at two oil fields and drilling operations suspended.