Almost 1.3 MBD US Gulf oil output still down

Some 99.6% of the US Gulf of Mexico’s oil output of 1.3 million barrels a day remained down Sunday, according to the US Minerals Management Service (MMS), following hurricane Ike which hit the Houston area on Saturday.

Fourteen refineries which shut ahead of the storm remained down, representing some 3.817 million b/d of refining capacity, or about 22% of total US refining capacity, while power outages were wide, spreading as far north as Illinois. Utilities said it could take three to four weeks for a complete return, according to Platts.

The MMS also said 6.801 Bcf/d of gas output was down, 91.9% of normal production of 7.4 Bcf.

A handful of refinery operators over the weekend said they were beginning to gauge damage, adding that it was too soon to predict when the facilities could be back online, Platts reported.

The Louisiana Offshore Oil Port, the only US port capable of offloading Ultra Large and Very Large Crude Carriers, was expected to resume operating its marine offloading facilities late Sunday or Monday.