(Adds details, comments from energy department; byline) By Ayesha Rascoe WASHINGTON, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Fifteen U.S. oil refineries with a total capacity of 3.861 million barrels per day are now shut down in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike, the U.S. Department of Energy said on Sunday. In addition, 30 major natural gas processing plants with a total capacity of 14.55 billion cubic feet per day are closed in the Gulf of Mexico, including plants still impacted by Hurricane Gustav. Since the storm hit Texas early Saturday, there have been no reports of damage to natural gas pipelines or production infrastructure. The department also reported that 2,825,082 customers are without power in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas. In Texas 2,471,962 customers lost power, while 198,917 customers in Louisiana are without power. Hurricane Ike, which barreled into Texas as a strong Category 2 storm, is the second hurricane to hit the Gulf of Mexico in recent weeks. The refineries closed by Ike represent just under a quarter of U.S. fuel production capacity. The department said Sunday was the first opportunity for companies to assess the damage to the energy infrastructure and the timing of reopening refineries will depend on the extent of the damage. Since Gustav and Ike hit, the DOE has delivered oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to three companies: Marathon Petroleum Co, Placid Refining Co and ConocoPhillips. "DOE is doing everything possible to minimize impacts to American families felt as a result of Ike," a spokeswoman for the Energy Department said in a statement. In addition to handling requests for emergency oil, the department is monitoring gas-price gouging and working with the Environmental Protection Agency to issue clean air fuel waivers. (Editing by Maureen Bavdek)
Bystanders stop to look at flooding along Interstate 10 near downtown Houston after the major transportation artery was closed by flooding caused by rains following Hurricane Ike September 14, 2008. REUTERS/Richard ...
