US Gulf Coast Oil Patch Gets Lucky, So Far, in Busy Hurricane Season
A very active Atlantic hurricane season so far this year has not sent storms across U.S. oil and natural gas fields in the northern Gulf of Mexico, sparing energy companies billions of dollars of losses and consumers higher fuel costs.The 2023 Atlantic hurricane season has been another in a string with above average activity producing three major hurricanes with winds above 111 mph (179 kph) out of six hurricanes among 20 named tropical storms.So far this year, only one storm, Tropical Storm Harold, on Aug.
Commercial Ports Reopen in Wake of Typhoon Bolaven
Key commercial ports of Guam, Rota, and Saipan have been reopened in the wake of Typhoon Bolaven, the U.S. Coast Guard said."This decision, effective at noon on Oct. 11, 2023, follows meticulous assessments conducted by our dedicated crews and trusted partners." the Coast guard said.The Coast Guard Captain of the Port (COTP) has downgraded the Port Heavy Weather Condition to WHISKEY, signifying the ports' readiness to resume operations from a regulatory and navigation safety standpoint.Teams…
Baltic Index Falls on Weak Capesize, Supramax Demand
The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, tracking rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, snapped a four-session winning streak on Tuesday, pressured by lower rates for capesize and supramax vessel segments.The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax and supramax shipping vessels, lost 53 points, or 3.4%, at 1,507 — its biggest dip in two weeks.The capesize index fell 130 points, or 6.4%, to 1,911.Average daily earnings for capesizes, which typically transport 150…
Brennan Named Director of NOAA’s National Hurricane Center
NOAA has selected Mike Brennan, Ph.D., to serve as the next director of NOAA’s National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami, as preparations continue ahead of the 2023 hurricane season. He will assume this new role effective today, April 10, 2023.“The NHC director is one of the most visible and important jobs in the nation, and Mike possesses the right combination of experience, leadership and personal traits to prepare and guide us through major storms,” said Rick Spinrad, Ph.D., NOAA Administrator.
Jan De Nul's Newbuild Jack-up Voltaire Suffers 'Limited Damage' in China Typhoon
Offshore installation specialist Jan De Nul Group said Thursday that the shipyard in China where its flagship jack-up installation vessel Voltaire is being built, was hit by typhoon Muifa in China during the night of 14 to 15 September 2022."The eye of the typhoon passed over the shipyard, causing the vessel to come loose from its moorings. Fortunately, no one was injured. Voltaire is now safely moored back in the shipyard and first sight assessments show limited damage to certain parts of the crane and the helideck.
Normal Atlantic Hurricane Activity Forecast over Next Two Weeks
There will likely be normal levels of tropical storm activity over the next two weeks as the Atlantic Ocean hurricane season hits its peak, forecasters at Colorado State University said on Thursday.An upper-level trough in the atmosphere is expected to continue bringing near-normal to above-normal wind shear over the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean, the forecasters said.“This increased shear is likely due to a vigorous tropical upper-tropospheric trough which has been one of the primary reasons why the Atlantic hurricane season has not been as active as projected…
Twelve Bodies Recovered From Waters Off Hong Kong After Typhoon Chaba Sinks Ship
Chinese search and rescue officials pulled 12 bodies on Monday from waters southwest of Hong Kong after an engineering vessel snapped in two as tropical storm Chaba passed through, state television said.Maritime authorities of the southern province of Guangdong were stepping up efforts to identify the bodies, suspected to have drowned, after they were retrieved about 50 nautical miles from where the stricken ship sank, it added.Four of its crew were rescued by Monday, although…
More Than Two Dozen Missing after Ship Snaps in Two, Sinks Off Hong Kong
More than two dozen crew on an engineering [reportedly an offshore wind] vessel [Fujing 001] with 30 people on board were missing after it snapped in two in waters off Hong Kong as tropical storm Chaba passed through, authorities said.Three crew members were rescued, and search and rescue operations were continuing for others about 300 km (200 miles) southwest of the city, the Hong Kong Government Flying Service said.
New U.S. Hurricane Outlook Sees Five Major Storms
Forecasters on Thursday amped up their outlook for the U.S. Atlantic hurricane season, saying warm sea temperatures and the absence of a moderating wind shear portend a "well-above average" number of storms.Colorado State University researchers raised their estimate for tropical storms, hurricanes and major hurricanes by one apiece to 20, 10 and five, respectively. There is a 50% chance or more of at least one major hurricane apiece hitting the East and Gulf Coasts, it said.The 2022 Atlantic hurricane season began on Wednesday and continues through Nov.
Gulf Coast Oil Firms Return to Ida Recovery as Storm Nicholas Recedes
Energy companies worked to restore pipeline service and electricity after Tropical Storm Nicholas passed through on Tuesday, allowing them to return to repairing the significant damage caused by Hurricane Ida two weeks ago.Nicholas, downgraded to a tropical depression late Tuesday, caused rain, flooding, and power outages in Texas and Louisiana, where some refineries remained offline in the wake of Hurricane Ida. The earlier storm shuttered most U.S. Gulf offshore oil and gas production.Colonial Pipeline, the largest U.S.
Oil Output, Vessel Traffic Halted as Nicholas Lashes Texas
Hurricane Nicholas on Tuesday took another swipe at U.S. Gulf Coast energy facilities, cutting offshore oil and gas output gradually recovering from the last storm and disrupting power to onshore pipeline, gas and chemical plants.Royal Dutch Shell halted production its Perdido offshore oil platform due to heavy winds, and U.S. liquefied natural gas producer Freeport LNG said processing at its Texas coast facility was halted, likely due to a power outage.Power losses briefly cut Colonial Pipeline's main gasoline and diesel lines out of Houston…
Energy Firms Face Another Storm in US Gulf
Royal Dutch Shell on Monday began evacuating staff from a U.S. Gulf of Mexico oil platform, and other energy companies began preparing for hurricane-force winds from a second Gulf Coast storm in as many weeks.Tropical Storm Nicholas was about 105 miles (115 km) south of Port O'Connor, Texas, and moving north with winds of 60 miles per hour (97 kph). It could become a hurricane just ahead of landfall on Monday, according to the National Hurricane Center.Waves stirred up by Nicholas neared 12 feet (3.7 m) in height were reported outside of Port Aransas…
Port of Corpus Christi Braces for Storm Nicholas
The Port of Corpus Christi, Texas, on Monday increased its Hurricane Readiness Status to a high readiness Level 2 ahead of the landfall of Tropical Storm Nicholas.The Port of Corpus Christi remains at Port Condition Level X-Ray from Rockport to the U.S. Mexico border, it said in a release. "Under this condition, owners, operators or agents of all self-propelled oceangoing vessels over 500 gross tons, all barges and their support tugs should review USCG plans to depart or remain in port."(Reporting by Swati Verma in Bengaluru; Editing by Leslie Adler)
Houston Ship Channel Halts Inbound and Outbound Transit
The Houston Ship Channel on Monday halted inbound and outbound transit activity head of Tropical Storm Nicholas, a port official said.Nicholas on Monday was making its way towards the southern Texas coast with sustained winds of around 60 miles per hour, according to the National Hurricane Center. It could become a hurricane before making landfall.(Reporting by Liz Hampton)
Another Storm Barrels Toward US Gulf Coast
The Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana was bracing on Monday for the arrival of Tropical Storm Nicholas, which was expected to batter the region with life-threatening storm surge, flash flooding and gusty winds.The storm, carrying winds of 60 mph (97 kph), was moving erratically as it headed northward about 140 miles (225 km) south of the southern coast of Texas, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in a Monday morning bulletin. It was forecast to move ashore along the southern or central coast of Texas late on Monday afternoon or evening.The National Weather Service issued storm surge…
Hurricane Ida Makes Landfall Near Port Fourchon, Louisiana
Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana on Sunday as an extremely dangerous Category 4 storm, forcing those who did not flee to brace themselves for the toughest test yet of the billions of dollars spent on levee upgrades following Hurricane Katrina 16 years ago.Ida came ashore near Port Fourchon, Louisiana, at 11:55 a.m. CDT (16:55 GMT), the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. Hurricane-strength winds extended 50 miles (80 km) out from Ida's eye, forcing New Orleans to suspend…
Oil Firms Race to Complete Gulf of Mexico Evacuations as Major Storm Approaches
U.S. oil and gas companies on Friday raced to complete evacuations from offshore Gulf of Mexico platforms as Tropical Storm Ida advanced towards oilfields that provide 17% of the nation's oil production.The storm early Friday was about 50 miles northwest of Grand Cayman Island moving north at 15 miles (24 km) and expected to intensify and become near a major hurricane when it hits the central U.S. Gulf Coast this weekend, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). A major…
Storm-shut Ports Reopen in US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico
The U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port San Juan has set Port Condition FOUR in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands reopening the area's maritime ports, following the passing of Tropical Storm Grace near the islands.Now a tropical depression, Grace continues its path just off the southern coast of the Dominican Republic. The ports of San Juan, Puerto Rico and the ports in the U.S. Virgin Islands were reopened Sunday afternoon, while all other remaining ports in Puerto Rico reopened at 5:45 a.m. Monday.
Severe Weather Led to Barge Breakaway, Bridge Damage -NTSB
Severe rainfall and flooding from a tropical storm led to barges breaking away from their moorings and striking the Interstate 10 bridge in Channelview, Texas, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said in a marine accident brief released Tuesday.On September 19, 2019, 11 barges broke free from a San Jacinto River barge fleeting area north of the I-10 bridge in Channelview during Tropical Storm Imelda, the fifth-wettest tropical cyclone on record in the continental United States.
Early-season Gulf of Mexico Storm Trims Some US Oil Production
The first storm to hit oil-producing regions of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico this year sent workers fleeing offshore oil platforms and cut some production.A weather disturbance in the central Gulf of Mexico was expected to become a tropical storm on Friday. It was moving north at about 14 miles per hour (22 kmh) and could bring up to 12-inches of rain to the central U.S. Gulf Coast by Saturday, the National Weather Service said.Equinor ASA on Friday said it had removed staff and shut production at its Titan platform, which is about 65 miles (105 km) off the coast of Louisiana.
Oil Companies Evacuating U.S. Gulf of Mexico Platforms ahead of Storm
Chevron Corp and Occidental Petroleum Corp said on Thursday they were withdrawing staff and implementing storm precautions at their U.S. Gulf of Mexico offshore facilities ahead of a brewing tropical storm.A weather disturbance over the Gulf of Mexico could become a tropical storm by Friday and take aim at the Louisiana and Mississippi coasts, the U.S. National Weather Service said on Thursday.“All of our facilities have plans to prepare for weather-related events and are implementing those procedures,” Occidental said on its website.
NOAA Adjusts Hurricane Season Outlook Averages
NOAA is updating its baseline numbers used for gauging hurricane season activity using more recent storm data.Once every decade, the agency revises its set of statistics used to determine when hurricane seasons are above-, near- or below-average relative to the climate record. Beginning with this year’s hurricane season outlooks, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center (CPC) will use 1991-2020 as the new 30-year period of record. “This update allows our meteorologists to make forecasts for the hurricane season with the most relevant climate statistics taken into consideration…
Video: First Golden Ray Section Lifted and Removed
Salvors finished cutting and lifting the first section of the capsized car carrier Golden Ray on Sunday, and the section was carried by barge to a local site for further sea fastening before transport to Louisiana for recycling.Delays during the first round of cutting operations, including those caused by a passing tropical storm and equipment issues, are among a string of setbacks to impact one of America's most complex salvage projects. But the response team hopes that lessons learned along the way will help to streamline the work ahead.