As Hurricane Beryl strengthened while moving towards the Texas coast near Houston, the major ports in the state ceased their operations and vessel traffic on Sunday.
According to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC), Beryl, the hurricane that caused widespread destruction in the Caribbean and claimed the lives of at least 11 people, has now been upgraded to a category 1 hurricane. The NHC also predicts that it could further strengthen to a category 2 hurricane before it makes landfall on Monday.
According to reports, the Coast Guard captains set condition “Zulu” on Sunday, leading the ports of Corpus Christi, Houston, Galveston, Freeport, and Texas City to close. As a result, all vessel movement and cargo operations have been restricted to prepare for the anticipated gale force winds within the next 12 hours.
Located approximately 200 miles (322 km) away from Houston, Corpus Christi stands as the leading crude oil export hub in the United States. Besides that, Texas City and Freeport are also significant shipping hubs for oil and refined products along the U.S. Gulf Coast.
The closure of ports may temporarily suspend the export of crude oil, as well as the shipment of oil to refineries and the production of motor fuels in those facilities.
The Houston ship channel spans 52 miles (83 kms) and provides access to eight public facilities and approximately 200 private terminals. On Sunday, transit restrictions were in place before the channel ultimately suspended all traffic.
According to the 11 p.m. CDT (0400 GMT) advisory from the NHC, an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft has reported that Beryl’s maximum sustained winds are now reaching approximately 75 mph (120 kmh).
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) stated on Sunday evening that there will be further reinforcing of the storm before it hits the Texas coastline.
As of Sunday evening, PowerOutage.us reported that around 14,000 customers in Texas were without power. Centerpoint Energy, the power provider, stated that it is closely monitoring the storm and taking necessary precautions.
Dan Patrick, the Acting Governor of Texas, has made a fervent appeal to all those vacationing in coastal areas to evacuate before the storm’s arrival.
During a meeting with officials in Austin, he emphasized the severity of the storm and urged everyone to take it seriously and be fully prepared.
Ready.
On Sunday, Kinder Morgan, an energy infrastructure company, announced the closure of its West Clear Lake and Dayton natural gas storage facilities, as well as its Texas City natural gas processing facility in anticipation of the storm.
According to the statement, the company anticipates that its pipeline operations will not be significantly affected. Moreover, all of the company’s other facilities in the path of the storm are still operational.
Beryl’s wind storms forced certain energy facilities in Texas to either shut down or decrease their operations.
During Beryl’s impact, Freeport LNG’s liquefaction trains 1, 2, and 3, along with a pre-treatment facility, were shut down as a precautionary measure. The plant operators resumed the operations as efficiently as possible to reduce flaring, as stated in a report filed with The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
On Sunday, Freeport announced that it had decreased its production at the liquefaction facility due to the weather event and plans to resume operations once it is safe to do so.
Cheniere Energy, a producer of liquefied natural gas, announced on Sunday that its Corpus Christi facility is currently operating without any interruptions. However, as a precautionary measure, all nonessential personnel have been released.
In a statement, it was mentioned that the Gulf Coast assets possess strong and well-established measures for handling severe weather conditions.
According to Chemours Co, a chemical manufacturer located near Corpus Christi, they have taken necessary steps to prepare for the hurricane. This includes planning for safe and adequate staffing during and after the storm as well as securing equipment and assets if the storm makes landfall near their site.
Enbridge Inc has confirmed that their crude export facilities located near Corpus Christi are functioning without any interruptions. The company has activated their emergency plans to ensure the safety of their assets amidst the current circumstances in the US Gulf.
On Sunday, Gibson Energy confirmed that all its employees based in Gateway and Houston were safe and sound. The company also stated that its facilities and docks had been secured following the port of Corpus Christi closure. It’s worth noting that Gibson Energy also operates an export facility in the same region.
Sources have reported that Citgo Petroleum Corp is reducing its production at the Corpus Christi refinery, which has a capacity of 165,000 barrels per day. The refinery will continue to operate at a minimum level while Tropical Storm Beryl passes through the area.
Several oil producers, such as Shell and Chevron, have taken the precautionary measure of shutting down production or relocating personnel from their offshore platforms in the Gulf of Mexico.
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