Texas refiners rush to fix leaks, broken pipes after storm
Barbara Powell, Bloomberg
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The brutal winter storm knocked out operations at many refineries along the Gulf Coast.Eddie Seal/Bloomberg
Refineries in Texas are finding a return to normal after last week’s Arctic blast and widespread power outages is a messy, stop-and-start process.
At least eight of them were trying to restart as of early Tuesday, with varying degrees of success. Some lacked all the power and water they needed to begin the process. All were grappling with storm-related damage, including water leaks, burst pipes, cracked pumping and other equipment damage.
Gulf Coast fuel makers could be shut for another week
Barbara Powell and Jeffrey Bair, Bloomberg
Feb. 18, 2021
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Restarting a refinery isn’t like flipping a light switch when the power comes back on.Brandon Thibodeaux/NYT
Fuel makers on the U.S. Gulf Coast may take a week or longer to get their frozen oil refineries running safely, even if at reduced rates, and that could mean higher gasoline and diesel prices at the pump.
The deep freeze and power outages roiling energy markets affected more than 20 oil refineries in Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma. Crude-processing capacity fell by about 5.5 million barrels a day, according to Amrita Sen, chief oil analyst for consultant Energy Aspects Ltd.