Sept 10 (Askume) – U.S. Gulf Coast energy facilities have begun curtailing operations and evacuating some generation sites as Tropical Storm Francine passes through the energy-rich region and is expected to strengthen into a hurricane on Tuesday.
Francine is heading toward the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, becoming the fourth named hurricane of the Atlantic season, which ends Nov. 30. The National Hurricane Center said Francine could strengthen into a Category 2 hurricane before it reaches the Louisiana coast Wednesday night.
Offshore production in the US Gulf of Mexico, which produces about 1.8 million barrels per day or about 15% of the country’s total crude oil output, could be disrupted due to storm surge. Such disruption could impact US oil supplies, putting pressure on domestic oil and offshore crude oil prices.
The Port of Brownsville near the Mexican border and other smaller terminals in Texas remained closed Tuesday, while others, including the ports of Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi, Texas City and Freeport, remain restricted.
The US Coast Guard said, “As Francine moves north through the Gulf of Mexico, we will continue to work closely with our maritime industry partners to fully reopen affected ports as soon as possible.”
