MIAMI (AFP)–Authorities issued warnings in Texas and northeastern Mexico as Alex strengthened into a hurricane–the first of the 2010 Atlantic season–late Tuesday in the oil-stained Gulf of Mexico.
| The Miami-based National Hurricane Center said “additional strengthening is forecast prior to landfall,” expected Wednesday night near the U.S.-Mexico border, separating Texas and Tamaulipas states. |
| The Category One hurricane was tracking westward at 15 kilometers (nine miles) per hour and not forecast to turn towards the massive BP oil spill along the U.S. Gulf Coast, but its severe winds were churning up waves that brought a halt to clean up operations and threatened to push more of the huge slick onto the coastline. |
| Just before 0300 GMT Wednesday, the center of the storm was located about 415 kilometers (255 miles) southeast of Brownsville, Texas, and 315 kilometers east of the Mexican coastal town of La Pesca. |
| Mexico ordered authorities on emergency alert in Tamaulipas state after one woman died when a wall of her home collapsed in the southern state of Oaxaca during driving rain caused by the storm system, officials said. |
| U.S. President Barack Obama declared a state of emergency in Texas and ordered federal aid to bolster the local response efforts Alex drew near. |
| Obama’s move was a green light for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, to coordinate all disaster relief efforts, a White House statement said. |
| Texas Gov. Rick Perry issued his own state disaster proclamation for 19 counties, allowing Texas to launch preparations such as pre-deploying resources to ensure local communities are ready to respond to the hurricane. |
| Alex appeared to be well southwest of the area worst hit by the massive BP oil spill–the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida–though its strong winds were causing problems for the cleanup effort. |
| The storm forced suspension of oil skimming operations as visiting Vice President Joe Biden heard complaints about the pace of cleanup efforts in the disaster zone. |
| The winds could also whip up waves large enough to prevent crews from attaching a third containment vessel to a riser pipe suctioning oil from a containment cap some 5,000 feet (1,500 meters) below the surface. |
| An estimated 1.6 million to 3.6 million barrels of oil–or 67 million to 153 million gallons–have poured into the Gulf since the BP PLC-leased Deepwater Horizon rig exploded on April 20, killing 11 workers. |
| The NHC said the storm could cause dangerous floods and was set to drench parts of northeastern Mexico and southern Texas with rain accumulations of 6-12 inches (15-30 centimeters), with isolated maximum amounts of 20 inches (51 centimeters). |
| ”These rains could cause life-threatening flash floods and mud slides,” the NHC warned. |
| In addition to being the first hurricane of the season, Alex was also the first June Atlantic hurricane since 1995, according to the NHC. |
| FEMA, an agency of the US Department of Homeland Security, urged Americans to closely monitor the storm and be as prepared as possible. |
| ”The most important thing for people living in the area to do right now is to ensure their family is prepared and to follow the instructions of state and local officials,” said FEMA chief Craig Fugate. |
(STOCKS LISTED IN THOUSANDS OF BBL)
CURRENT WEEK YEAR AGO PREV WK
CHANGES 06/25/10 06/26/09 06/18/10
Ref % Operated – - 86.9 84.9 87.2
Ttl Mogas Stocks -908 220,265 211,596 221,173
Distillate Stocks 3,983 158,709 154,611 154,726
Resid Fuel Stocks -294 43,797 37,852 44,091
** Crude Imports -440 9,543 8,842 9,983
Crude Oil Stocks -3,404 359,021 349,745 362,425
**-Thousands Of Barrels Per Day *-Revised
MIAMI, Fl. (AFP)–Hurricane warnings were issued in Texas and the northeastern Mexico as forecasters predicted that Tropical Storm Alex churning in the Gulf of Mexico would reach hurricane force on Tuesday.
| At 0300 GMT, the center of Alex was located some 505 miles (810 kilometers) southeast of Brownsville, Tx., at the point the Rio Grande–which forms the border between the United States and Mexico- reaches the ocean, the National Hurricane Center said. |
| The storm appeared to be well southwest of the area hardest hit by the massive Gulf oil spill–the U.S. coasts of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana–though its strong winds could cause problems for the cleanup effort. |
| Alex had maximum sustained winds of 65 miles (100 kilometers) per hour, and was moving towards the northwest at five miles (seven kilometers) per hour, the Miami, Florida-based Hurricane Center said. |
| ”A hurricane warning means that hurricane conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area,” the NHC said, noting that they are usually posted 36 hours before the first tropical storm force winds arrive. |
| Alex was expected to continue gathering force as it moves over the warm Gulf waters on its forward track. |
| ”Additional strengthening is forecast, and Alex is likely to become a hurricane on Tuesday,” the NHC bulletin said. |
| The NHC said the storm could bring “total rainfall accumulations of five to 10 inches (13-25 centimeters) over portions of northeastern Mexico and southern Texas over the next few days.” |
| ”Additional rainfall accumulations of three to six inches (7.6-15 centimeters) over southern Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula” were expected through Tuesday, with isolated maximums of 10 inches (25 centimeters) possible over mountainous areas. |
| ”These rains could cause life-threatening flash floods and mud slides,” the NHC warned. |
| An estimated 1.6 million to 3.6 million barrels of oil- or 67 million to 153 million gallons — have poured into the Gulf since the BP-leased Deepwater Horizon rig exploded on April 20, killing 11 workers. |
| While Alex appeared set to sidestep the massive slick, its strong winds still threatened seas too rough to try to attach a third containment vessel to a riser pipe suctioning oil from a containment cap some 5,000 feet (1,500 meters) below the surface. |
| According to the NHC, tropical storm force winds currently “extend outward up to 70 miles (110 kilometers)” from the center of Alex. |
MIAMI, Fl. (AFP)–Tropical depression Alex strengthened late Sunday and was again upgraded to a tropical storm, the U.S. government announced.
| At 0300 GMT, Alex, which packed sustained winds of 45 miles (75 kilometers) an hour, was entering the Gulf of Mexico some 60 miles (100 kilometers) west southwest of Campeche, Mexico, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said. |
| ”Additional strengthening is forecast – and Alex could become a hurricane within the next 48 hours,” the NHC said. |
1. SATELLITE IMAGES AND SURFACE OBSERVATIONS INDICATE THAT THE LOW
PRESSURE AREA BETWEEN THE NORTHERN COAST OF HONDURAS AND GRAND
CAYMAN HAS BECOME BETTER ORGANIZED TODAY. AN AIR FORCE
RECONNAISSANCE PLANE IS CURRENTLY APPROACHING THE SYSTEM TO
DETERMINE IF A TROPICAL DEPRESSION HAS FORMED. REGARDLESS…
UPPER-LEVEL WINDS ARE BECOMING MORE CONDUCIVE FOR DEVELOPMENT AND A
TROPICAL DEPRESSION WILL LIKELY FORM AT ANY TIME LATER TODAY OR
SATURDAY. THERE IS A HIGH CHANCE…80 PERCENT…OF THIS SYSTEM
BECOMING A TROPICAL CYCLONE DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS. THIS
SYSTEM…ACCOMPANIED BY HEAVY RAINS AND GUSTY WINDS…IS FORECAST
TO MOVE SLOWLY TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST AND REACH THE YUCATAN
PENINSULA IN A DAY OR TWO. ALL INTERESTS IN THE NORTHWESTERN
CARIBBEAN SEA AND YUCATAN SHOULD MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THIS
SYSTEM.
2. A LARGE BUT DISORGANIZED AREA OF CLOUDINESS AND SHOWERS CENTERED
JUST EAST OF THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS IS ASSOCIATED WITH A
TROPICAL WAVE INTERACTING WITH AN UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH. THIS SYSTEM
HAS THE POTENTIAL FOR SLOW DEVELOPMENT AS IT MOVES TOWARD THE
NORTHWEST AT 10 TO 15 MPH. THERE IS A LOW CHANCE…20 PERCENT…OF
THIS SYSTEM BECOMING A TROPICAL CYCLONE DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS.
ELSEWHERE…TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION IS NOT EXPECTED DURING THE
NEXT 48 HOURS.
A low pressure area centered between the northeast coast of Honduras and Grand Cayman has a high chance, 70%, of becoming a tropical cyclone during the next 48 hours, the National Hurricane Center said Friday.
| The system is likely to become a tropical depression before it reaches the Yucatan Peninsula in a couple of days. An Air Force reconnaissance plane is scheduled to investigate this disturbance later Friday to determine if a tropical cyclone has formed. |
| Full story at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gtwo_atl.shtml |
Hornsby Trading News
- Platts Energy Inventory Survey Plus Hornsby & Company Inventory Assessment – February 7th.
- US NATURAL GAS INVENTORY SURVEY: Draw Of 126 Bcf Expected – Dow Jones
- Weekly DOE Inventory Report – February 1st.
- API Inventory Report – January 31st.
- Platts Energy Inventory Survey Plus Hornsby & Company Inventory Assessment – January 31st.