Hurricane Alex may not become an actual hurricane until Tuesday. But for now, Alex, which is the first named storm of hurricane season 2010, appears to be heading away from the oil spill within the Gulf of Mexico 2010. A hurricane warning was given to south Texas and northeastern Mexico. About 116 million gallons of crude have fouled the gulf, as outlined by government estimates.
Hurricane Alex could push oil ashore
A hurricane watch shows that hurricane weather is possible within 48 hours. If the tropical storm conforms to forecasts and becomes Hurricane Alex, the storm’s center is not expected to approach the area of the oil spill off Louisiana’s coast. But Stacy Stewart, who’s a senior hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, told CNN that Alex’s outer wind field could push oil from the spill farther inland and hinder operations in the area. Its center is on a track from the Yucatan peninsula and is also headed for the Texas-Mexico border.
Oil spill containment seems to be threatened by Hurricane Alex
Oil spill containment operations and all of the efforts to cap the gushing well would likely be suspended if Hurricane Alex approached the northeastern part of the Gulf. ABC News reports that when Alex became the first named storm of hurricane season 2010 which started June 1, officials instantly worried what effect it could have on efforts to contain the millions of gallons of crude spewing to the sea and washing up on beaches.
Hurricane Alex could change course
When the storm continues to intensify, 50 mph winds extend up to 70 miles in the storm’s center. Around 7 mph, it is moving north-northwest. It was reported by CNN that National Hurricane Center forecasters have not ruled out an easterly shift in Alex’s path. If Hurricane Alex changed its present course, the oil spill cap placed over the blown-out well that is capturing some of the crude would have to be removed in the event of a hurricane. Operations would have to be suspended by ships drilling relief wells. On their present schedule, the relief wells, which are considered to be the best hope to stop the leak, are projected to be done by August.
Sensitive to storm track are crude oil futures
The 2010 hurricane season showed us how oil prices may be affected by storms. As Hurricane Alex continues to veer away from the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico 2010, the Wall Street Journal reports that crude oil futures Monday backed off from seven-week highs. Even though the storm could make the affects of the oil spill worse, what matters a lot more to the world is a lot more oil production, and fears the developing tropical storm would disrupt oil production eased. As a result, prices for light sweet crude for August delivery went down 75 cents to $78.11 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Citations:
CNN
cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/06/28/tropical.storm.alex/index.html?npt=NP1
ABC News
abcnews.go.com/Business/wirestory?id=11033517&page=1
Wall Street Journal
online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100628-706482.html
