Laura is developing into a damaging Category 4 hurricane on Wednesday as it moved closer toward the refining industry hub in the US Gulf Coast. The storm strengthened on Wednesday and is expected to bring 240 kilometres per hour winds and heavy rains up to 64 kilometres inland, according to US weather forecasters.
More than 600,000 people in Louisiana and Texas have fled the hurricane which is expected to spare Houston, the country’s fourth-largest city. This allows some refiners there to maintain operations. However, six refineries which process up to 2.33 million bpd of oil have been shut since Wednesday. These units include those of Chevron, Exxon, Valero, Total, and Motiva.
Cheniere Energy, the top US LNG exporter, evacuated workers from its plant near Laura’s path. Cameron LNG also took its export facility in Louisiana offstream. As of Wednesday, upstream producers had evacuated staff from 310 offshore production platforms and shut 84% of crude output and 61% of natural gas production in the US Gulf of Mexico.
