Genscape Oil Monitoring: U.S. Gulf Coast supply chain begins recovery from dual hurricanes

Hurricane Laura made landfall near Cameron, LA, 30 miles south of Lake Charles, LA, in the early hours of Aug. 27 as a Category 4 storm. Storm surge, hurricane-force winds, and flooding battered Louisiana and East Texas. The U.S. Gulf Coast oil supply chain suffered widespread, combined effects from Laura and Tropical Storm Marco, which made landfall near the Mississippi River earlier in the week. Extreme weather impacted refinery operations, offshore production, waterborne movements, and pipeline flows. As of 5 September, Genscape monitors detected signs of supply chain recovery, but some effects of the storms could persist for weeks to come. In this insight, we review the impacts to crude oil pipeline, waterborne movements and refineries in the US Gulf Coast from Hurricane Laura against the backdrop of ongoing US recovery in crude oil production, refinery crude runs and refined products demand.