All nine refineries in the Houston/Texas City area, representing 2.47
million b/d of capacity, or about 14% of the US total, were being shut
Thursday ahead of Hurricane Ike, operators said.
Refineris in the Beaumont/Port Arthur area, east of Houston, were running
at reduced rates and at least one Corpus Christi refiner, further down the
Texas Coast from Houston, had decided to shut some operations.
A Category 2 hurricane, Ike is expected to grow in size and strength
before making landfall early Saturday, likely along the Texas Gulf Coast
southwest of the Houston area, according to the US National Hurricane Center.
A hurricane warning is in effect from Morgan City, Louisiana, to Baffin Bay,
Texas, with Ike's center slated to be very near the Texas Coast by late
Friday, the NHC has said.
The Houston/Texas City refineries are BP Texas City (475,000 b/d),
ConocoPhillips Sweeny (247,000 b/d), ExxonMobil Baytown (562,500 b/d),
LyondellBasell Houston (270,000 b/d), Marathon Texas City (76,000 b/d),
Pasadena Refining (120,000 b/d), Shell Deer Park (340,000 b/d), Valero Texas
City (245,000 b/d) and Valero Houston (130,000 b/d).
Refineries expected to be fully shut later Thursday include BP Texas City
and ConocoPhillips Sweeny, according to the companies. By Friday,
LyondellBasell Houston and Shell Deer Park should be shut, the companies said.
Other area refinery timelines were not immediately available.
The four refineries in the Beaumont/Port Arthur area are ExxonMobil
Beaumont (348,500 b/d), Total Port Arthur (232,000 b/d), Motiva Enterprises
Port Arthur (285,000 b/d) and Valero Port Arthur (325,000 b/d).
Motiva and Valero said they were running their plants at reduced rates
Thursday, but Valero said it may decide to shut its Port Arthur refinery later
Thursday. ExxonMobil's Beaumont refinery continued operations, but implemented
preliminary safety procedures and Total said it was monitoring the storm.
There are three refineries in Corpus Christi: Flint Hills Resources
(288,126 b/d), Valero (340,000 b/d) and Citgo (156,000 b/d).
Flint Hills shut the West Plant of its Corpus Christi refinery, the
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality reported Thursday. The status of the
East Plant was not known. Flint Hill officials did not return calls for
comment.
Valero said its Corpus Christi plant was running at regular rates. A
Citgo official did not return calls for comment on their refinery.
As of January 1, there were 149 operable refineries in the US (excluding
Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands) with a total crude distillation capacity
of 17.6 million barrels per calender day, according to the National
Petrochemical & Refiners Association.
14:05 DOE says both Texas SPR sites, one Louisiana site shut on Ike
13:39 371--Houston, Galveston, other area ports shut to inbound ships
13:08 NEWSFLASH: Houston Fuel Oil Terminal says shutting ahead of Hurricane Ike
09/11 12:09 CDT Texas governor: Hurricane Ike will be dangerous
Texas governor: Hurricane Ike will be dangerous
By JUAN A. LOZANO
Associated Press Writer
HOUSTON (AP) -- Texas Gov. Rick Perry is urging residents to finish storm
preparations ahead of a very dangerous Hurricane Ike.
Perry told reporters Thursday that Ike is a gigantic storm, and says he "cannot
overestimate the danger that is facing us."
Ike is expected to become at least a Category 3 storm with winds upward of 111
mph before it comes ashore. Hurricane warnings are in effect from the Louisiana
coast to Morgan City.
Authorities are trying to avoid traffic gridlock similar to an evacuation
during Hurricane Rita three years ago. Only eight zip codes in low-lying areas
and near Galveston Bay are under mandatory evacuation orders.
Traffic is stacked bumper to bumper on one freeway leading away from Galveston
County and into the Houston metropolitan area.
Motiva Port Arthur refinery continues operations despite Ike
P lantation Pipeline says operations normal ahead of hurricane
ExxonMobil says shutting Baytown, Texas, refinery ahead of Ike
BP shutting entire Texas City refinery ahead of Ike: spokesman
Pasadena Refining says shutting Houston-area refinery ahead of Ike
Huntsman shutting Port Neches, Texas, MTBE plant over Ike: source
Sabine Pipe Line extends Port Neches force majeure indefinitely
Pasadena Refining says shutting Houston-area refinery ahead of Ike
TEPPCO says shutting Baytown, Beaumont pipeline hubs at 3 pm CDT
TEPPCO says shutting all mainlines leaving Texas coast at 6 pm CDT
