Conditions are improving slowly within Mississippi and Louisiana, though much work remains. Five refineries in New Orleans are still offline, though conditions have improved in other markets. While deliveries in southern Louisiana will remain tight for weeks, conditions in surrounding areas are getting a bit better as refineries come online and carriers catch up with […]
Refineries are experiencing varying degrees of success in restarting operations. Five refineries in New Orleans, which cumulatively account for just over 1 million barrels per day, have not yet been able to begin their restart process due to power outages. Elsewhere, refinery repairs and restarts are underway, with refineries generally operating at reduced capacity. Refineries […]
After a long holiday weekend, southern Louisiana and Mississippi continue to suffer from outages, including both power and fuel outages. Nearly half a million buildings in Louisiana still lack power, including local refineries and terminals that remain offline. Without local product availability, long-haul deliveries have been the only way to transport fuel into the market. […]
Mansfield is currently tracking two disturbances in the Atlantic as they move closer to the Caribbean. These low-pressure disturbances, Invest 93L and Invest 94L, are now being watched for a potential transformation into tropical depressions, as rains and thunderstorms associated with them are becoming more predictable and intense. Invest 94L will continue to be monitored […]
Tropical Storm Elsa is currently moving over Cuba, slowing its forward momentum and delaying its landfall in the continental US. After it passes Cuba, it may strengthen somewhat in the Gulf Coast before approaching the Florida Panhandle. Elsa is set to make landfall in the US on Wednesday morning as a tropical storm. The US […]
Fuel market conditions are evolving rapidly as the industry reacts to reports of the Colonial Pipeline outage. Many fuel suppliers have cut back supply availability, holding inventories in case of a prolonged pipeline outage. At least one Gulf refinery has already announced they would restrict utilization due to the outage. The Colonial Pipeline Company said […]
The Colonial Pipeline, which supplies fuel to markets throughout the East Coast, reported on Friday, May 7 that it experienced a “network outage” requiring it to shut down operations. Over the weekend, the company confirmed that the outage was the result of a cyberattack, which investigators say stemmed from a rogue group of hackers known […]
As this week’s EIA oil report revealed, oil markets are beginning to show signs of normality. Although still far below typical, Gulf Coast refinery utilization rose from 60% to 70% this week, allowing markets to begin refueling. Even with the increased supply, many markets are experiencing tightness. Backlogs of deliveries and continued terminal outages are […]
Why Are Refineries Closed? Freezing weather hampered fueling infrastructure in several ways, including shutting production, refining, and distribution. At a very basic level, refineries heat up crude oil until it vaporizes, then cool it down as liquid fuels. The winter storm impacted these operations in several ways: Freezing cold weather can directly damage equipment involved […]
After a week of winter storms across the country, temperatures and markets are normalizing in most areas. The frigid temperatures early last week impacted fueling infrastructure and caused massive power outages across Texas. Over the weekend, crews made progress clearing more roads allowing fuel carriers in the region to get caught up on backlogged deliveries. Mansfield is moving […]
