• 42% of crude, 52% of natural gas output in Gulf of Mexico shut
• Ports in Texas and Louisiana reopen
• Shell ramps up production at its platforms

Sept 13 (Reuters) - U.S. Gulf Coast energy facilities on Friday were restarting operations as companies assessed the damage from Hurricane Francine which tore through offshore oil and gas producing areas and slammed into the Louisiana coast on Wednesday.

Offshore oil and gas producers ramped up operations after halving output. Ports reopened and onshore terminals accepted oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers.

Francine missed Texas and drenched Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama with heavy rains and gusty winds that led to widespread power outages that affected operations.

The U.S. Gulf of Mexico accounts for about 15% of all domestic oil production and 2% of natural gas output, according to federal data, so storm-related disruptions can boost energy prices.

Francine has likely disrupted about 1.5 million barrels of U.S. oil production, which will reduce September production in the Gulf of Mexico by around 50,000 barrels per day, UBS said in a note. Yet by Friday the U.S. Coast Guard said most terminals in Louisiana including the port of News Orleans and the deepwater Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP) were back in service.

Texas ports including Texas City and Lake Charles that reopened earlier this week following Francine were on Friday servicing tankers, according to vessel monitoring data by LSEG.

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https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-gulf-coast-energy-facilities-brace-storm-francine-2024-09-10/