Most energy-heavy Texas ports that shut ahead of Hurricane Francine’s movement through the Gulf of Mexico had reopened by Wednesday (9/11) given the storm’s shifts further east toward New Orleans (see map below). Louisiana’s similarly energy-heavy ports, including those in New Orleans and Lake Charles, shut down Tuesday or early Wednesday ahead of Francine’s landfall later Wednesday.
Featured Articles
- Analyst Insight
Storm Warning - Energy Infrastructure, Ports Shutting Ahead of Francine's Landfall
Some Gulf of Mexico ports and energy infrastructure shutting ahead of Tropical Storm Francine's landfall in Louisiana
- Analyst Insight
Ridin' The Storm Out - U.S. Gulf Coast Ports Prep for Tropical Storm Francine
Tropical Storm Francine on track for a Louisiana landfall, Gulf Coast ports preparing
- Blog
You Really Got Me - Crude Oil Export Volumes Hold Up Despite a Barrage of Storms
Last week, Hurricane Delta became the latest of a string of hurricanes and tropical storms that have assaulted the Gulf Coast this year and disrupted energy production in the Gulf of Mexico — and energy exports. A number of major storms made direct hits or glancing blows to crude export centers like Corpus Christi, Houston, Beaumont, and Louisiana, forcing marine terminals to either slow down their carrier-loading operations or shut down for a few days at a time. That led to a yo-yoing of weekly export volumes: way down one week, way up the next. Despite the short-term dislocations, however, total export volumes since the hurricane season started on June 1 are actually up slightly from the first five months of 2020, a testament to the resilience not only of the export market but to the marine terminals themselves. Today, we discuss how hurricanes and tropical storms have been affecting export-terminal activity.
