(Reuters) – Three Corpus Christi Texas refineries reported production disruptions on Sunday as severe thunderstorms raked the area, with heavy rain and lightning.
Citgo Petroleum Corp said its Corpus Christi refinery shutdown due to a power outage and Flint Hills Resources said operations were disrupted by a power interruption, according a notice filed with Texas pollution regulators.
Citgo operates a 167,500 barrel-per-day (bpd) refinery in Corpus Christi, while Flint Hills operates a 338,500 bpd refinery in the area.
Reuters could not immediately reach Citgo and Flint Hills for updates on the status of these refineries.
Valero Energy Corp also reported use of the safety flares at its 290,000 bpd Corpus Christi refinery, indicating a production disruption, but the company did not reply to questions about refinery operations and had yet to file a notice with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality on Monday.
Thousands of power outages have been reported across Texas over the weekend due to severe weather, according to local media reports.
The National Weather Service, meanwhile, issued a flood warning for Oso Creek near Corpus Christi, affecting Nueces County.
More than 7,000 homes and businesses were still without power in Texas on Monday, according to data from PowerOutage.us.
Separately, local media also reported four oil tanks owned by Durango Resources caught fire after one of the was struck by lightning at just outside Agua Dulce, 34 miles (54.72 km) west of Corpus Christi.
(Reporting by Brijesh Patel in Bengaluru; Editing by Josie Kao)
