About 1 million homes and businesses in Texas remained without power on Thursday, four days after Hurricane Beryl lashed the state with fierce winds and flooding. This has sparked frustration among companies, officials, and residents who are facing extreme heat.
CenterPoint Energy, Texas’ largest electricity provider, had restored power to a little more than half of its 2.3 million customers by Thursday morning. The restoration of power has been slowed by hiccups, especially around the Freeport area, one of Texas’ largest energy hubs.
Freeport LNG, the third-largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) producer in the U.S., began pulling in small volumes of natural gas for processing on Thursday, after ramping down production earlier in the week. The company has not provided an operational update since Sunday.
While most oil and gas companies have resumed normal operations after Beryl made landfall as a Category 1 storm, some companies are still facing disruptions. Chemical maker Olin declared a force majeure for some product and aromatic shipments due to damage to its Freeport facilities, while Formosa Plastics temporarily shut down operations at its Point Comfort plant due to a malfunction.
The ports of Houston, Galveston, and Texas City were open on Thursday, with some operating under restrictions that were expected to be lifted soon. The U.S. Coast Guard has also rescinded the port conditions issued during the storms, signaling a return to normal operations.
The Texas Gulf Coast is home to massive oil and gas processing facilities, as well as export plants and chemical manufacturers. Texas accounts for 40% of U.S. oil output and 20% of the country’s natural gas production. While refineries, offshore production sites, and ports saw limited damage and had largely returned to normal operations by Thursday, the lingering power outages continue to cause disruptions in the region.