-- Chevron has successfully restarted its 325,000 b/d refinery at
Pascagoula, Mississippi, which was shut down prior to the arrival of
Hurricane Katrina in late August.
-- BP has won US government approval to use shuttle tankers in
the Gulf of Mexico as an alternative for moving oil from working
platforms to onshore sites, Minerals Management Service Director
Johnnie Burton told Platts on Oct 14. BP first floated the idea of
using tankers to bypass hurricane-damaged infrastructure such as
third-party gathering pipelines and terminals after Katrina tore
through the Gulf of Mexico.
-- Colonial Pipeline has had full commercial power restored to
all its facilities, allowing its gasoline and distillate mainlines
to operate "at full rates, subject to product availability," the
company said.
-- The imbalance in clean tanker markets caused by post-Katrina
demand for oil products in the US is still affecting freight rates
in some regions and has caused record-high freight costs for some
routes, shipping sources said on Oct 14. Sources said vessels
normally in position to load cargoes in the Arab Gulf in October and
early November were staying in or still ballasting back from Western
Hemisphere markets. This had led to a shortfall in the number of
suitable vessels, particularly in the Arab Gulf, and a rise in
freight costs as demand for ships outstripped supply.
-- The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources on Oct 14 said
operators of onshore and shallow-water wells in a 38-parish region
in the state had restored roughly 52,313 b/d of oil production, or
25.7% of the area's 203,139 b/d output before hurricanes Katrina and
Rita. The agency also reported that 756,600 Mcf/d of natural gas
production, or 33.85% of the region's pre-storm total of 2.235 Bcf/d
had been restored. The numbers from Oct 14 show continued, although
slow improvements, since the Gulf Coast was hit by the two storms.
-- The US Minerals Management Service said on Oct 14 oil shut-ins
were roughly 1.009-mil b/d, or 67.26% of normal production of
1.5-mil b/d in the aftermath of the hurricanes. On Oct 13, oil
shut-ins were 1.031-mil b/d, or 68.75% of normal. MMS also said
natural gas shut-ins as of Oct 14 stood at 5.647 Bcf/d, or 56.47% of
normal output of 10 Bcf/d. On Oct 13, gas shut-ins were 5.670 Bcf/d,
or 56.70% of normal.
Copyright © 2005 - Platts
Please visit:
www.platts.com
Their coverage of energy matters is extensive!!.