Operations at the key Louisiana energy port have been suspended as Francine approaches Reuters

By Marianna Parraga

HOUSTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Coast Guard suspended operations at the Port Fourchon, Louisiana offshore energy service center on Wednesday as Hurricane Francine made landfall, according to a shipping advisory.

The temporary closure of the Port of Fourchon, home to marine and equipment suppliers for offshore oil producers, follows the suspension of marine traffic at the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP) and the commercial ports of New Orleans, Cameron and Lake Charles on Tuesday, all essential for oil, LNG and agriculture exports.

About a quarter of all oil and natural gas production in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico was offline Tuesday, according to offshore regulator the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. A total of 130 production rigs and two rigs were evacuated.

Francine was moving northeast on Wednesday with maximum sustained winds of 90 miles per hour (150 km/h), the US National Hurricane Center said. Faster movement is expected later in the day as it makes landfall in Louisiana. Its center is expected to move into Mississippi on Thursday.

Francine is expected to bring heavy rain and the risk of significant flooding to southeastern Louisiana, Mississippi, far southern Alabama, and northern Florida.

Oil refineries and fuel distributors along the Louisiana coast braced for the storm.

As the hurricane moved north along the Texas coast on Wednesday, some ports, including Brownsville near the U.S.-Mexico border, began post-storm assessments in preparation for reopening, the Coast Guard said.

Oil and rose on Wednesday, reflecting a drop in U.S. oil inventories and concerns about supply disruptions from the storm. The Gulf of Mexico accounts for about 15 percent of all domestic oil production and 2 percent of natural gas production, according to federal data.