Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP (KMP), Houston TX, has reported that its company-owned terminals in Louisiana and Mississippi suffered no significant structural damage as a result of Hurricane Katrina and seven of the nine are in service.
KMP's facilities in Louisiana and Mississippi that were minimally impacted and continued to operate include: the Globalplex Terminal in Reserve LA, which primarily handles cement; the Gramercy Bulk Terminal in Gramercy LA, which provides loading services for alumina; the Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan facility in Geismar LA, which handles fertilizer; the Barge Canal Dock in Baton Rouge LA, which handles mainly petroleum coke; the Vicksburg MS, terminal, which provides break-bulk services; KMP's terminal in St Gabriel LA, which stores petrochemicals; and the Baton Rouge Liquid dock, which also handles petrochemicals.
As previously reported, KMP's Plantation Pipe Line, which delivers refined petroleum products to markets in the Southeast, was not damaged and full operations resumed September 2, following the restoration of electricity service at key pump stations.
KMP's Delta Terminal in Harvey LA, which has storage capacity of about three million barrels for petrochemicals and oilfield products, is expected to resume limited operations this week, pending restoration of electric power.
KMP also is waiting for electricity service to resume at its International Marine Terminal (IMT) facility in Myrtle Grove LA, which will allow the company to better assess the status of operations and establish a start-up schedule. IMT handles approximately 12 million tons of coal and other materials annually.
KMP continues to evaluate the full effect of Hurricane Katrina on its operations, but does not expect the storm will have a material adverse impact on the company's financial results.
The company estimates that the cost will be less than $10 million, including insurance deductibles and lost business at its operations.
KMP continues to pay all of its employees in the affected areas, including those assigned to facilities not currently at full operations.
Going forward, the company will offer these individuals positions at other locations should their duties be impacted for a prolonged period of time.
In addition, KMP has created an employee disaster relief fund to financially aid employees who were impacted by the storm.
In DeLisle MS, where KMP provides contract handling services at a third-party facility, company personnel are working with customers to assist with clean-up efforts.
KMP also provides contract services to handle petroleum coke for Chalmette Refining LLC, which owns a refinery in Chalmette LA. These are not KMP-owned facilities and future activity at the sites is dependent upon resumption of operations by the owners of the facilities.