From NPR · · 2m
Oil industry braces for Hurricane Isaias
Shell, BP and Chevron evacuate workers as the first Atlantic hurricane of the season heads toward the Gulf Coast, but the storm's path may spare major refineries.
In brief
Shell, BP and Chevron evacuate workers as the first Atlantic hurricane of the season heads toward the Gulf Coast, but the storm's path may spare major refineries. Hurricane Isaias, the first Atlantic hurricane of the season, is expected to make landfall near the Alabama Gulf Coast and Florida panhandle on Friday…
First Atlantic hurricane heads for Gulf
Hurricane Isaias, the first Atlantic hurricane of the season, is expected to make landfall on Friday evening near the Alabama Gulf Coast and Florida panhandle.
Oil companies evacuate offshore workers
Shell and BP have evacuated personnel from offshore facilities close to the storm's path, mainly deepwater platforms. Chevron has evacuated offshore drilling rigs and plans to redeploy them once the storm passes.
Storm path may spare major facilities
The storm is heading east, not west toward where the bulk of oil operations like refineries are located.It is making a swooping turn almost just to the east of where the most significant infrastructure is.
“making a swooping turn, almost just to the east of where the most significant infrastructure is”
Operators shut valves and move rigs
In addition to evacuating people from oil rigs and platforms, oil operators are shutting off safety valves below the ocean floor and moving mobile drilling facilities when possible.
Refineries face restart complications
Two significant refineries are on the hurricane's path: the Chevron Pascagoula location and the Vertex Alabama refinery. If a hurricane knocks out power or causes flooding, restarting refineries takes much longer than restarting oil rigs.
Refineries are complex to restart
Refineries boil oil into molecules turned into diesel, gasoline or natural gas liquids. Every step requires constant power. If power switches off, the process takes time to restart, like starting an old car.
“Restarting these things is like starting up an old car”
Two refineries account for five percent
The Chevron Pascagoula and Vertex Alabama refineries account for about two point five percent of total U.S.refining capacity and about five percent of Gulf Coast refining capacity.
Tight global fuel supply raises stakes
The global supply of diesel and gas is short due to wars in Iran and Ukraine.American refineries are operating at ninety two point seven percent capacity, refining about seventeen million barrels of crude a day.
The main idea
Hurricane Isaias, the first Atlantic hurricane of the season, is expected to make landfall near the Alabama Gulf Coast and Florida panhandle on Friday evening. Oil companies have evacuated offshore workers and taken precautions, though the storm's eastward path may spare most major facilities.
