More U.S. oil refining capacity back online

Report from Forbes:

WASHINGTON, Sept 16 (Reuters) - The amount of oil refining capacity along the U.S. Gulf Coast that has been restored after hurricanes Ike and Gustav increased to 1.111 million barrels per day, the Energy Department said on Tuesday.

That was up from 845,763 bpd on Monday, according to the department. Chevron's 330,000 bpd refinery in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and Murphy Oil's 120,000 bpd refinery in Meraux, Louisiana, were back to normal, after operating with reduced runs, the department said.

A total of 14 refineries with a capacity of 3.573 million bpd, equal to one-fifth of total U.S. refining capacity, remain shut after the storms. That represents a loss of about 1.3 million bpd in gasoline production and 900,000 bpd in distillate fuel output, according to the department.

Separately, 23 natural gas processing plants along the Gulf Coast with a combined capacity of 11.29 billion cubic feet of gas a day were still shut due to hurricanes Ike and Gustav, the department said.

However, 10 plants with a capacity of 4.26 billion cubic feet of gas a day were operating at normal levels or reduced rates.

Another five plants with a capacity of 1.9 billion cubic feet a day were capable of restarting once electric power is restored or upstream gas flows resume, the department said.