U.S. hurricane forecasters urge safety on oil stockpiles

ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) – Forecasters urged the oil industry this summer to stockpile supplies away from the U.S. Gulf Coast, which they predict will be hit by hurricane-force winds, potentially sending sky-high gas prices even higher, according to hazard models released on Wednesday.

“It is almost certain there is going to be significant production disruption in the Gulf of Mexico this year. That’s not good,” said storm tracker Chuck Watson.

“We’re really urging the oil industry to keep the stocks outside the Southeast as high as you can because otherwise you risk disrupting the whole country if there is a storm impact.”

Energy companies struggled for months to restore operations after hurricanes pummeled oil and natural gas platforms and shut coastal refineries in the Gulf of Mexico 2005.

Reuters