US energy firms keep eye on Tropical Storm Erin
Wed Aug 15, 2007 12:20PM EDT
By Erwin Seba
HOUSTON, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Most U.S. oil and natural gas companies operating in the Gulf of Mexico continued to monitor a tropical storm Wednesday to determine if they would need to evacuate or shut facilities. Tropical Storm Erin formed from a tropical depression on Wednesday morning and was forecast to make landfall in south Texas on Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Leading U.S. refiner Valero Energy Corp. (VLO.N:) said on Wednesday morning there has been "no significant operational changes at our Gulf Coast refineries" due to the storm churning in the Gulf of Mexico. Valero owns a 142,000 barrel-per-day crude throughput refinery in Corpus Christi, Texas, which is north of the point where Erin is expected to make landfall on Thursday.
Citgo Petroleum Corp. and Flint Hills Resources also have refineries in Corpus Christi. Those companies have not said what actions they may be taking in preparation for the storm's approach. BP Plc. (BP.L:) said it had turned its attention to Tropical Storm Dean in the Atlantic, which some computer models forecast will enter the Gulf of Mexico next week. The company said it has no assets in the path of Erin.
El Paso Corp. (EP.N:) said the company had rigs in the forecast path of the storm.
"We're monitoring the situation closely as to what is going on in the Gulf," said El Paso spokesman Robert Newberry. "We are preparing for possible evacuation, but we will decide this evening. We don't see anything right now."
On Tuesday, Shell Oil Co. (RDSa.L:) said it was shutting a small 5 million cubic feet per day natural gas platform off North Padre Island and that it had evacuated 188 nonessential workers.
Marathon Oil (MRO.N:) on Tuesday said it had not evacuated any workers from its facilities but that it had stopped sending additional nonessential personnel to its offshore facilities. "At this point, we don't have any plans to evacuate offshore personnel," Marathon spokeswoman Lee Warren said Wednesday.
Exxon Mobil (XOM.N:) said Wednesday it was making preparations to protect its South Texas operations but that no staff had been evacuated and there was no impact on oil and gas production.
"Exxon Mobil is determining which of its facilities may potentially be in the path of the storm, preparing those structures for heavy wind and rain, and identifying critical personnel needed for possible shut-ins," spokeswoman Margaret Ross said in a statement.
Roughly one-third of all U.S. oil and natural gas production comes from the Gulf of Mexico.
