HOUSTON - Energy firms are postponing the restart of offshore oil as well as natural gas manufacturing from the Gulf of Mexico in the wake of Cyclone Gustav and also preparing for one more round of discharges as a second large storm intimidates to batter the area.

The one-two strike from Gustav and also Cyclone Ike will likely sculpt deeply right into UNITED STATE energy stocks in the coming weeks, possibly raising fuel prices, as the source of a quarter of domestic crude as well as 15 percent of the USA' gas exists dormant for a fresh strike of high winds and waves.

Power business Shell Oil (RDSa.L: Quote, Account, Research, Supply Buzz), Anadarko (APC.N: Quote, Account, Research Study, Stock Buzz) and others began leaving employees in advance of Ike, which struck Cuba late Sunday on a track that might take it right into the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday as well as right into the Gulf Coast by the weekend. ID: nN08303299.

Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Supply Buzz), meanwhile, stated it was reducing initiatives to bring back overseas oil and natural gas manufacturing following Gustav because of the brand-new hazard from Ike.

U.S. petroleum CLV8 climbed as high as $109.89 per barrel early Monday on fret about Ike, prior to a stronger buck sent out crude down under $105 by midday.

Ike's arrival comes a little more than a week after Typhoon Gustav crossed the very same waters as well as triggered a nearly complete closure of the area's power production.

Some 79.8 percent of the 1.3 million barrels per day of normal oil output from the Gulf of Mexico remained closed in as of Sunday, along with 70 percent of its 7.4 billion cubic feet per day of gas outcome, the UNITED STATE government reported Sunday. water treatment chemicals : nN07372825.

That reflected a slow healing from the tornado's peak impact a week ago, particularly compared to the resumption of operations at coastal oil refineries that were also secured ahead of Gustav.

3 refineries with an incorporated capability of 330,000 bpd, totaling up to 1.8 pct of U.S. ability, were still entirely closed on Monday. At the top of Gustav's influence, 15 refineries representing more than 15 percent of UNITED STATE refining capability were shut down.

Closures caused by Gustav have actually cut almost 11 million barrels of cumulative UNITED STATE petroleum outcome thus far, the equivalent of about fifty percent of what Americans eat in a day, according to data from the Minerals Monitoring Solution.

They have actually also reduced in between 11 million and also 15 million barrels of refined fuel production, according to a Reuters survey.