Mon 17 Aug 2009, 10:02 GMT

USVI suppliers prepare for tropical storms


Bunker suppliers on the US Virgin Islands brace themselves for Tropical Storms Ana and Bill.



Bunker suppliers on the US Virgin Islands [pictured] are preparing themselves for the possibility of being hit by two tropical storms over the next few days.

The country's government is said to be closely monitoring the potential threat to the territory by Tropical Storm Ana and Tropical Storm Bill.

On Saturday the National Hurricane Center adjusted the projected path of Tropical Storm Ana more to the south which means that on its revised track, by this evening, the strong Tropical Storm is expected to make a direct impact on St Croix and bring tropical storm force winds to all of the Virgin Islands at around 3 pm today.

Ana was downgraded from a tropical storm to a tropical depression over the weekend by the U.S. National Weather Service. Forecasts throughout the day yesterday reduced the storm's windspeed and rainfall. Ana was seen weakening and moving further south than previously forecast, prompting a representative of the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency to say that Hovensa's 494,000 barrels-per-day Kingshill refinery on the island of St Croix would not be shutting down.

Bunkering operations are expected to be affected by the storm over the next 24 hours.

Meanwhile, also over the weekend Tropical Depression Three became Tropical Storm Bill, the second named tropical storm of the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season.

The storm system is expected to strengthen further and be a Category Two hurricane when it passes about 200 miles to the northeast of the Virgin Islands with winds of about 105 miles per hour on Thursday. As it is a five-day forecast, it is likely to change with each advisory as the storm system moves along on its westward track.

Oil refiner and bunker supplier Hovensa is a joint venture between Hess Corp and Venezuelan state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA).

The company is able to deliver marine fuels at Christiansted, Frederiksted and Port Alucroix.

Other suppliers on the US Virgin Islands are Bunkers of St. Croix Inc. and Caribbean Petroleum Inc.


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