HOUSTON, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Shell Oil Co, the U.S. arm ofRoyal Dutch Shell Plc, reported flooding Saturdayafternoon in the chemical plant of its Deer Park, Texas,refining and petrochemical complex as storms dumped over 8inches (20 centimeters) of rain on the area.
A source familiar with operations at the316,600-barrel-per-day (bpd) joint-venture Deer Park Refineryknew of no problems at the refinery due to the flooding.
In a message on a system to inform nearby residents ofmalfunctions within the complex, Shell said the flooding created"an unauthorized discharge due to an oil-sheen carryover at oneof the facility's stormwater outfalls."
A Shell spokesman did not reply to messages on Saturdayasking about the flooding.
The message also said Shell was taking steps to mitigate theoil sheen.
Exxon Mobil Corp said the nation's second largestrefinery, its 560,000-bpd Baytown, Texas, plant along with thecompany's 344,600-bpd Beaumont, Texas, refinery and 502,500-bpdBaton Rouge, Louisiana, refinery were operating normally after aline of thunder storms raked the Gulf Coast on Saturday.
Refineries along Houston's Ship Channel and Texas City,Texas, appeared to be operating normally after storms passedover by mid-afternoon.
Ship pilots called a halt to moving vessels along theHouston Ship Channel for 10 hours from early in the morninguntil the afternoon on Saturday when heavy rains and high windsmade navigation of the 53-mile (85-kilometer) waterway unsafe,according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Ships began moving along the Ship Channel shortly after 2p.m. local time (1900 GMT). (Reporting by Erwin Seba; Editing by Paul Simao)
