FACTBOX-Oil refineries near swollen Mississippi River

10 May 2011 16:17

Source: reuters // Reuters

May 10 (Reuters) - Heavy flooding in the U.S. Midwest shut Ohio River terminals, limited barge movements and threatened to disrupt refinery operations along the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday.

There are 10 refineries, including the second largest U.S. refinery, located along the Mississippi River, that can process 2,414,700 barrels per day of oil, or 13.7 percent of the country's refining capacity.

(Graphic: http://r.reuters.com/gyt49r )

Scores of U.S. heartland rivers from the Dakotas to Ohio have flooded following a snowy winter and heavy spring rains, feeding near-record crests on the lower Mississippi River. [ID:nN09257616] [ID:nN09232133]

Valero Energy Corp's 180,000 bpd refinery in Memphis, Tennessee, was in the center of the worst flooding where high waters forced evacuations in residential areas. The river was expected crested near 48 feet (14.6 meters) on Tuesday at Memphis.

In Louisiana, officials opened the Bonnet Carre spillway near the refining hub of Norco, Louisiana, to channel Mississippi River water to Lake Pontchartrain.

The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers was planning to open the Morganza spillway by early next week, which will send flood waters from the Mississippi to the Atchafalaya River, likely disrupting operations at Alon USA Energy's 80,000 bpd Krotz Springs, Louisiana, refinery.

REFINERIES AT RISK FROM FLOODS (in bpd)

* Alon USA Energy Krotz Springs, Louisiana: 80,000

* Chalmette Refining Chalmette, Louisiana: 192,500

*ConocoPhillips Belle Chasse, Louisiana: 247,000

*Exxon Mobil Corp Baton Rouge, Louisiana: 504,500

(Second-largest U.S. refinery)

*Marathon Oil Corp Garyville, Louisiana: 436,000

*Motiva Enterprises Convent, Louisiana: 235,000

*Motiva Enterprises Norco, Louisiana: 234,700

*Murphy Oil Corp Meraux, Louisiana: 120,000

*Valero Energy Corp Memphis, Tennessee: 180,000

*Valero Energy Corp St. Charles Louisiana: 185,000

TERMINALS SHUT:

Nearly 20 percent of barge terminals the U.S. Coast Guard monitors on the Ohio River remained closed on Tuesday. The Smithland Lock and Dam at mile marker 918.5 on the river remains closed, obstructing barge traffic both up and downstream. [ID:nN09291512]

BARGE TRAFFIC:

Barge traffic is moving along the Mississippi River with some restrictions and no closures. Restrictions include length of barge (no greater than 600 feet), energy requirement (greater than 250 horsepower), speed (3 miles/hour) and prior notification requests before navigation starts. To that end, barge traffic is open in places like St Louis and Memphis with restrictions. [ID:nWEN2978] (Reporting by Erwin Seba, Kristen Hays, Selam Gebrekidan, Janet McGurty; Editing by Marguerita Choy)