EIA Predicts ‘07 Hurricanes Will Shut In US Gulf Oil, Gas

Hurricanes that could sweep through the U.S. Gulf of Mexico this summer or fall are likely to shut in production of about 13.2 million barrels of crude oil and 86.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas, the U.S. Energy Information Administration predicted Tuesday.

The agency based its prediction on a recent forecast by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that calls for above-normal hurricane activity in the Atlantic. NOAA is predicting 13 to 17 named storms will form within the Atlantic Basin, including seven to 10 hurricanes, of which three to five are seen becoming intense.

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