-- The US Energy Information Administration on Oct 13 reported
that refinery utilization and crude imports rose last week as the
country's energy sector continued its recovery from hurricanes
Katrina and Rita. EIA, in a weekly data report, said refinery inputs
averaged 12.6-mil b/d for the week ended Oct 7, up 868,000 b/d from
the prior week. Refineries ran at 74.9% of their operable capacity
during the week, up from 69.8%. Gasoline and distillate production
rose as a result of increased refinery throughputs. Output of
gasoline climbed to nearly 7.9-mil b/d from 7.5-mil b/d, while
distillate production moved to 3.2-mil b/d from 3-mil b/d. Gasoline
stocks dropped 2.7-mil bbl, putting them below the lower end of the
average seasonal range. EIA also said total product supplied over
the past four weeks has averaged more than 20-mil b/d, 2.8% less
than the same period last year.
-- Canadian independent Nexen said it now has about 31,000 boe/d
of its US Gulf of Mexico output back online, or 60% of the roughly
50,000 boe/d it was producing there before the hurricanes.
-- Oil and natural gas production from Louisiana onshore and
shallow-water oil and natural gas wells continued to slowly inch up
Oct 13 in the wake of Katrina and Rita, the state Dept of Natural
Resources said. The agency estimated that restored oil production is
47,435 b/d in a 38-parish region in the state, an amount equivalent
to about 23.5% of the region's pre-storm output of roughly 203,139
b/d. Restored natural gas production was put at 691,700 Mcf/d, or
30.9% of the region's total of about 2.235 Bcf/d before the two
hurricanes struck the Gulf Coast. On Oct 12, DNR said operators had
restored 46,174 b/d of oil production, or 22.7% of the area's
pre-storm output and 686,800 Mcf/d of gas production, or 30.7% of
the region's pre-storm output of 2.235 Bcf/d.
-- The loss of US Gulf of Mexico natural gas production because
of Katrina and Rita likely will lead to "chronic" supply shortages
this winter in New England that would "disproportionately" affect
electricity generators in the region, which relies on gas to provide
more than 40% of its power supply, ISO-New England said on Oct 13. A
report on winter fuel supply adequacy and bulk power security found
that hurricane damage to Gulf production will likely mean that at
least 1 Bcf/d of supply will not be available this winter to
pipelines serving the Atlantic seaboard.
-- While the report noted that New England has pipeline
connections to Canadian gas supply and liquefied natural gas, the
region "still depends on [Gulf of Mexico] supplies," which are
carried into New England by Tennessee Gas Pipeline and the Algonquin
Gas Transmission System. "In light of the uncertainty about the time
needed to restore GOM natural gas production, there is a significant
chance that chronic supply deficit will materialize" during the
2005-2006 heating season, the report said.
-- The US Minerals Management Service said on Oct 13 that oil
shut-ins were roughly 1.031-mil b/d, or 68.75% of normal production
of 1.5-mil b/d. On Oct 12, oil shut-ins were 1.046-mil b/d, or
69.76% of normal. MMS also said natural gas shutins as of Oct 13
stood at 5.670 Bcf/d, or 56.7% of normal output of 10 Bcf/d. On Oct
12, gas shut-ins were 5.919 Bcf/d, or 59.19% of normal.
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