The hurricane caused Ike on Thursday, interrupting nearly 7 percent of fuel supplies from the United States and maintained production offshore oil and gas in the Gulf of Mexico at a minimum level because the companies were preparing for the fourth Threat of storm this summer Boreal.
The weather forecasts say that Ike, who charged force on warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, probably plague the Texas coast west of Houston on Friday night or Saturday morning, which carries the risk of significant harm to refineries in the area.
"Based on the size and the projected strength of Ike, I fear that there is the potential for a massive storm between 10 and 15 feet, maybe higher, along with storm surges flooding and severe damage to the huge complex refining Bay Gavelston, and Texas City, "said Jim Rouiller, meteorologist for Planalytics.
Four refineries with a combined capacity of 1.16 million barrels per day or 6.7 percent of the capacity of the nation and which are located along the Gulf Coast, had already ceased its operation as a precaution.
The energy sector in the United States has been forced to evacuate workers at least four times this summer because of boreal storms that have entered the Gulf of Mexico, starting with Dolly the hurricane in mid-July.
Offshore, oil companies, which still bear the impact of Hurricane Gustav over a week ago, stopped over 95 percent of its oil production and more than 73 percent of natural gas, according to the latest data the Minerals Management Service.
The Gulf of Mexico is home to a quarter of crude oil production in the United States and 15 percent of its natural gas production.
Meanwhile, the Offshore Oil Port, stopped unloading tankers Louisiana and the Coast Guard stopped traffic coming into the Houston Ship Channel, obstructing major conduit for imports.
It was expected that the output of the offshore region recover quite quickly, because the trajectory of what Ike would place enough to the south and west as to reduce the risk of harm.
"This forecast will leave the area of high density and the 'heart of the area of energy production' of southern Louisiana and adjacent positions in northern Gulf of Mexico away from the destructive wrath of Ike. Therefore, I hope that operations will increase in the region early next week, "said Rouiller.
Still, the impact of Gustav and Ike on energy production in the United States already has been strong, reducing the pumping crude at around 14.1 million barrels, natural gas at 67,900 billion cubic feet, and processing of the refineries by about 15.2 million barrels.
