Been there, done that!
In the biggest disruption of the region’s output in at least two years, Hurricane Ivan forces Shell Oil Co., ChevronTexaco, ExxonMobil, and Total, to shut some hundreds of thousands of barrels per day of Gulf of Mexico oil production as the companies evacuate more than 3,000 workers from the offshore platforms. Oil tankers from Venezuela also face a three-day delay on deliveries to the United States because of the hurricane. The U.S. Minerals Management Service reports that Ivan has reduced Gulf Coast oil production by 61%. (Bloomberg, DJ, Reuters)
"In spite of 140 mph winds, there was no loss of life or major pollution in the gulf's production area from Ivan, but 31 platforms were seriously damaged and several were destroyed. There was also damage to underwater pipelines." sciencedaily.com
"Prior to Hurricane Ivan striking the U.S. mainland along the Gulf of Mexico coastline, the Coast Guard closed seven ports in four states, including New Orleans in Louisiana, which is the hub of the U.S.'s third-largest port complex. The complex is a major gateway for ships on the Mississippi River and in the Gulf of Mexico for commodities such as steel, rubber, zinc, copper, aluminum and grain, but experts say that hurricane-disruption was minimal.
Traders say some cargo ships reversed their course to avoid the storm. But, overall, the disruption delayed the supply chain only for 48 hours by diverting traffic to ports down the coast in Texas at Houston, Galveston and Freeport—"and that's not a critical amount of time for these types of materials," says Janet Plume, editor of the Gulf Shipper trade magazine told the Associated Press. Still, Hurricane Ivan cost the Port of New Orleans $19 million a day as cargo ships were turned away, says chief executive Gary LaGrange." purchasing.com
"Nearly 30 percent of the nation's energy needs travels through Louisiana. With pipelines shut down, oil tankers backed up at Louisiana ports, and rough seas continuing to toss the Gulf, analysts blamed the spike in oil prices largely on the slowdown in the Gulf." picayuneitem.com