Hurricane Laura is likely to strengthen to Category 4 today, following an increase in maximum sustained winds to near 110 mph (175 km/h), according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).
The storm is expected to be a major hurricane at landfall, the NHC said today.
"On the forecast track, Laura should approach the Upper Texas and southwest Louisiana coasts on this evening and move inland near those areas tonight or [tomorrow] morning," it said.
About 2.6mn b/d of US refining capacity, or more than 13pc of total US capacity, has shut as Laura advances toward landfall near the Texas-Louisiana border. Chevron confirmed today that it is shutting its 100,000 b/d refinery in Pasadena, Texas.
The US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) estimated yesterday that around 84pc — or 1.6mn b/d — of crude production in the Gulf of Mexico has been shut-in.

