TS Harvey shuttering GoM platforms

Oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico have begun shutting down in anticipation of Tropical Storm Harvey’s arrival. It may become the first hurricane to strike Texas since 2008. The Gulf Coast, from Corpus Christi, Texas, to Lake Charles, La., is home to nearly 30 refineries that produce about 7 million barrels of oil per day at peak capacity. They are in the path of heavy rainfall expected to start early Friday. Flooding poses risks to operations, while torrential rains can shut units and cause supply disruptions. Fuel supplies in the region may be tightened further by other refinery outages. Phillips 66 began a plant-wide shutdown of its Lake Charles refinery late Tuesday, according to a company statement. “The biggest impact of this storm will be a significant reduction of crude oil imports into the Texas Gulf Coast, resulting in refineries cutting crude rates,” Andy Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates in Houston. Along the Gulf Coast, seas could rise 4 to 6 feet, and Harvey could produce up to 15 to 20 inches of rain across parts of Texas and Louisiana. (Source: Bloomberg 08/23/17) Phil Grigsby, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in in Slidell, La., says a southerly wind flow accompanied by moisture pumping up from the Gulf put the New Orleans area and Southeast Louisiana on the "wet side" of the storm.