Houston Ship Channel re-opening in Edouard's wake

05 August 2008 19:47  [Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (ICIS news)--The Houston Ship Channel has started its re-opening process, following its closure due to Tropical Storm Edouard, the US Coast Guard said on Tuesday.

As of 13:00 Houston time (18:00 GMT), the centre of Edouard was 35 miles (55 km) east of Houston, moving west-northwest at 10 miles/hour, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The storm continued to weaken as it moved farther inland, with maximum wind speeds dropping to 50 miles/hour from 60 miles/hour, the centre said.

As of 12:25 Houston time, there were 23 ships waiting to enter the channel and eight waiting to depart, according to the Coast Guard.

The channel will go through a six-step process before it opens to traffic, the Coast Guard said. The process could be concluded as early as Tuesday.

The channel is the major marine entry into Houston, the largest petrochemicals hub in the US.

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By: Al Greenwood
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