Tropical storm disrupts US Gulf lightering operations

Lightering operations on the US Gulf coast have been stopped and are expected to see up to three-day delays because of tropical storm Nicholas, according to multiple shipbrokers.

Ship-to-ship (STS) operations at the Galveston, Texas, offshore lightering area (GOLA), the Corpus Christi, Texas, STS site, and at Sabine Pass in Port Arthur, Texas, are shut down and will be weather-delayed until the morning of the 16 September. The Southwest Pass STS transfer site is shut down and will be delayed until tomorrow evening, according to shipbrokers.

Other disruptions in the crude tanker market in the US Gulf coast include some tankers potentially failing to be fixed and others being replaced as a result of the storm, according to shipbrokers.

As of 12pm ET today, Texas ports of Corpus Christi, Freeport, Houston, Galveston and Texas City will be closed to inbound traffic because of the approaching storm.

By Liz Ramanand