WASHINGTON - Thirteen oil refineries along the U.S. Gulf Coast with a combined refining capacity of 2.484 million barrels of oil per day remained shut because of the lingering effects of Hurricane Gustav, the Energy Department said on Wednesday.
That is down from the peak 2.716 million bpd in oil refining capacity that was initially offline.
Another 10 refineries with a combined capacity of 3.099 million bpd were still operating at reduced rates, the department said, based on information from oil companies and various trade press sources.
The department said that of Wednesday morning, Venezuela's Citgo Petroleum Corp was the only company that so far has asked for oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
Other oil companies "are currently conducting damage assessments and evaluating their needs," the department said.
The department said it would approve Citgo's request for 250,000 barrels of oil for the company's refinery in Lake Charles, Louisiana due to a storm-related disruption in supplies.
While the emergency oil reserve's two sites in Texas are fully operational, the stockpile's site in Bayou Choctaw, Louisiana was shut down for lack of electricity. The reserve's remaining Louisiana site in West Hackberry has power and suffered no structural damage, the department said.
Separately, 16 major natural gas processing plants shut along the Gulf reported no major damage and expected to start operating once gas flows begin.
None of the liquefied natural gas import terminals along the Gulf report any major damage, but more complete inspections will occur in the next few days before their operations resume, the department said.
That is down from the peak 2.716 million bpd in oil refining capacity that was initially offline.
Another 10 refineries with a combined capacity of 3.099 million bpd were still operating at reduced rates, the department said, based on information from oil companies and various trade press sources.
The department said that of Wednesday morning, Venezuela's Citgo Petroleum Corp was the only company that so far has asked for oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
Other oil companies "are currently conducting damage assessments and evaluating their needs," the department said.
The department said it would approve Citgo's request for 250,000 barrels of oil for the company's refinery in Lake Charles, Louisiana due to a storm-related disruption in supplies.
While the emergency oil reserve's two sites in Texas are fully operational, the stockpile's site in Bayou Choctaw, Louisiana was shut down for lack of electricity. The reserve's remaining Louisiana site in West Hackberry has power and suffered no structural damage, the department said.
Separately, 16 major natural gas processing plants shut along the Gulf reported no major damage and expected to start operating once gas flows begin.
None of the liquefied natural gas import terminals along the Gulf report any major damage, but more complete inspections will occur in the next few days before their operations resume, the department said.
