Hurricane Beryl shuttered ports and curtailed refinery operations in Texas on Monday as 80mph winds slammed into America’s energy capital. The first Atlantic hurricane to make landfall in the US this year caused widespread disruption as it swept northwards along the US Gulf, which is home to roughly half of the country’s oil refining capacity. “We’re experiencing right now the dirty side of a dirty hurricane,” said Houston mayor John Whitmire. “We know we have a lot of infrastructure challenges.
Citgo reduced rates at its 175,000 b/d Corpus Christi refinery, according to the Oil Price Information Service, a consultancy. Chevron said it had “followed hurricane preparation procedures” at its 125,000 b/d Pasadena refinery, but that it “continue to serve our customers”. Exporters were also hit as shipping lanes closed. The Port of Corpus Christi — the US’s biggest export hub — halted operations on Sunday. The ports of Houston, Galveston, Freeport and Texas City also took similar steps.