irishspirit
14th May 2011, 10:06
As we reported previously (http://www.zerohedge.com/article/velero-and-motiva-louisiana-refineries-threatened-flooding-and-after-flood-pics), Obama has found himself on the verge of another environmental scandal now that he has no choice but to redirect the Mississippi river via the Morganza spillway (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morganza_Spillway)- either lose millions in barrels of daily refined production and potentially the impairment of the Colonial Pipeline (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonial_Pipeline), two events which would promptly cause gas prices to soar to new records, or redirect the river via the Spillway, and cause the flooding of millions of acres, and numerous towns and cities, and possibly another New Orelans bases crisis. It seems Obama has picked the lesser of two evils: i.e., protect the oil: "The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said on Friday it anticipates opening the Morganza Spillway on the western bank of the swollen Mississippi River to divert floodwaters into the Atchafalaya River basin and protect Baton Rouge, Louisiana, New Orleans and refineries from flooding. The Corps of Engineers had been planning next week to open the spillway, about 45 miles (72 km) northwest of Baton Rouge, but could do so as soon as Saturday as high water continues making its way downriver." On the other hand, opening the spillway will also lead to plant impairments: " Opening the spillway will disrupt operations at Alon USA Energy's 80,000-bpd Krotz Springs, Louisiana, refinery.
An Alon spokesman said on Friday that the plant was operating normally as crews continued to build a second levee to prevent Atchafalaya River waters from flooding the refinery within 10 to 14 days of the Morganza opening. The new levee will supplement existing levees." And there is more: it appears that not only are refineries in danger, but three nuclear power plants are also in danger of being flooded: Entergy's 1,176-megawatt Waterford nuclear plant in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana; its 978-megawatt River Bend nuclear plant in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, and the 1,268-megawatt Grand Gulf nuclear station in Clairborne County, Mississippi."
http://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/images/user5/imageroot/images/Mississippi%20channel_0.jpg (http://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/images/user5/imageroot/images/Mississippi%20channel.jpg)
Below are the refineries which are threatened unless the Morganza is open:
Alon USA Energy <ALJ.N> Krotz Springs, Louisiana : 80,000
Chalmette Refining <XOM.N> Chalmette, Louisiana: 192,500
ConocoPhillips <COP.N> Belle Chasse, Louisiana: 247,000
Exxon Mobil Corp <XOM.N> Baton Rouge, Louisiana: 504,500
Marathon Oil Corp <MRO.N> Garyville, Louisiana: 436,000
Motiva Enterprises <RDSa.L> Convent, Louisiana: 235,000
Motiva Enterprises <RDSa.L> Norco, Louisiana: 234,700
Murphy Oil Corp <MUR.N> Meraux, Louisiana: 120,000
Valero Energy Corp <VLO.N> Memphis, Tennessee: 180,000
Valero Energy Corp <VLO.N> St. Charles, Louisiana 185,000
And here are those in danger if the Spillway is open:
BP <BP.L> America Production Co 10,703
Petroquest <PQ.N> Energy LLC 8,757
Apache Corp <APA.N> 4,986
ConocoPhillips <COP.N> Inc 2,661
Stone Energy <SGY.N> Corp 2,232
Chevron <CVX.N> USA Inc 1,467
Dune <DUNR.OB> Operating Co 1,407
Swift Energy <SFY.N> Optg LLC 1,241
http://www.zerohedge.com/article/here-are-refineries-and-nuclear-power-plants-threatened-if-morganza-spillway-openedshut
An Alon spokesman said on Friday that the plant was operating normally as crews continued to build a second levee to prevent Atchafalaya River waters from flooding the refinery within 10 to 14 days of the Morganza opening. The new levee will supplement existing levees." And there is more: it appears that not only are refineries in danger, but three nuclear power plants are also in danger of being flooded: Entergy's 1,176-megawatt Waterford nuclear plant in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana; its 978-megawatt River Bend nuclear plant in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, and the 1,268-megawatt Grand Gulf nuclear station in Clairborne County, Mississippi."
http://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/images/user5/imageroot/images/Mississippi%20channel_0.jpg (http://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/images/user5/imageroot/images/Mississippi%20channel.jpg)
Below are the refineries which are threatened unless the Morganza is open:
Alon USA Energy <ALJ.N> Krotz Springs, Louisiana : 80,000
Chalmette Refining <XOM.N> Chalmette, Louisiana: 192,500
ConocoPhillips <COP.N> Belle Chasse, Louisiana: 247,000
Exxon Mobil Corp <XOM.N> Baton Rouge, Louisiana: 504,500
Marathon Oil Corp <MRO.N> Garyville, Louisiana: 436,000
Motiva Enterprises <RDSa.L> Convent, Louisiana: 235,000
Motiva Enterprises <RDSa.L> Norco, Louisiana: 234,700
Murphy Oil Corp <MUR.N> Meraux, Louisiana: 120,000
Valero Energy Corp <VLO.N> Memphis, Tennessee: 180,000
Valero Energy Corp <VLO.N> St. Charles, Louisiana 185,000
And here are those in danger if the Spillway is open:
BP <BP.L> America Production Co 10,703
Petroquest <PQ.N> Energy LLC 8,757
Apache Corp <APA.N> 4,986
ConocoPhillips <COP.N> Inc 2,661
Stone Energy <SGY.N> Corp 2,232
Chevron <CVX.N> USA Inc 1,467
Dune <DUNR.OB> Operating Co 1,407
Swift Energy <SFY.N> Optg LLC 1,241
http://www.zerohedge.com/article/here-are-refineries-and-nuclear-power-plants-threatened-if-morganza-spillway-openedshut