Southeast European Center for Semiotic Studies

Hurricane Alex veers from gulf oil spill but still threatens

Hurricane Alex probably won’t become a hurricane until Tuesday. But for now, tropical storm Alex, the first named storm of the 2010 hurricane season, appears to be heading away from the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico 2010. A hurricane watch has been issued for the coasts of south Texas and northeastern Mexico. On day 69 of the gulf oil spill about 116 million gallons of crude have fouled the gulf, as reported by government estimates.

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Hurricane Alex could very well push the oil to shore

A hurricane could hit in 48 hours is what the hurricane watch means. If the tropical storm turns into Hurricane Alex, the storm's center isn't really expected to approach the area of the oil spill off Louisiana's coast. But Stacy Stewart, who's a senior hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, told CNN that Alex's outer wind field could push oil from the spill farther inland and hinder operations within the area. Its center is coming from the Yucatan peninsula and is headed for the Texas-Mexico border.

Oil spill containment is apparently threatened by Hurricane Alex

Oil spill containment procedures and endeavours to cap the gushing well would likely be stopped if Hurricane Alex approached the northeastern part of the Gulf. It was reported by ABC News that when Alex became the first named storm of hurricane season 2010 which started June 1, officials worried what effect it could have on efforts to contain the millions of gallons of crude spewing to the sea and washing up on beaches.

The Course might still change for Hurricane Alex

When the storm continues, 50 mph winds extend 70 miles from the storm’s center. Around 7 mph, it is moving north-northwest. CNN reports that National Hurricane Center forecasters have not ruled out an easterly shift in Alex's path. If Hurricane Alex changed its present course, the oil spill cap placed over the blown-out well that is capturing some of the crude would have to be removed in the event of a hurricane. Ships drilling relief wells would have to suspend operations. On their present schedule, the relief wells, considered the best hope to stop the leak, are projected to be done by August.

Futures of crude oil are sensitive to storm track

The 2010 hurricane season showed us how oil prices could be affected by storms. As Hurricane Alex veers away from the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico 2010, it was reported by the Wall Street Journal that crude oil futures Monday backed off from seven-week highs. Even though the storm could make the affects of the oil spill worse, what matters a lot more to the world is more oil production, and fears the developing tropical storm would disrupt oil production eased. As a result, prices for light sweet crude for August delivery went down 75 cents to $78.11 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

More info accessible at these websites:

CNN

cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/06/28/tropical.storm.alex/index.html?npt=NP1

ABC News

abcnews.go.com/Business/wirestory?id=11033517&page=1

Wall Street Journal

online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100628-706482.html