(Updates with details, table) PORT ARTHUR, Texas, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Twelve of the 15 Texas oil refineries shuttered ahead of Hurricane Ike showed no visible signs of flooding or damage in the storm's wake, although fewer than half of them appeared to have power, a Reuters eyewitness said on Sunday. The assessment was in line with reports from emergency management officials that the state's refineries appeared to have escaped serious flooding -- a sign fuel production could resume more quickly than initially thought. Five refineries in the Houston area -- owned by Valero Energy Corp <VLO.N>, Lyondell <LYO.N>, Pasadena, Exxon Mobil <XOM.N> and Shell Deer Park <RDSa.L> -- had some power with only Lyondell's plant showing superficial damage to two on site storage tanks. In Texas City, Beaumont and Port Arthur -- areas struck by widespread power outages -- none of the refineries had visible lights, the Reuters witness said. "Even though there is little indication of serious damage, I think it will be difficult to restart these oil refineries because of the power issue," said Chris Jarvis, senior analyst at Caprock Risk Management in Hampton Falls, New Hampshire. "Parts of the power system took a devastating hit." Heavy rain on Sunday was expected to slow early efforts to restore electricity to Southeast Texas, where more than 2 million customers remain without power. [ID:nN14431612] Ike's impact on the energy sector sent U.S. gasoline prices sharply higher over the weekend amid fears a prolonged disruption to fuel production could shrink already threadbare inventories. [ID:nN14363975] But oil futures fell in a special trading session, in a bet production could rebound quickly. [O/R] Below is a list outlining conditions at the refineries: HOUSTON AREA: *Lyondell 270,600 bpd: superficial damage to two storage tanks *Exxon Mobil Baytown 567,000 bpd: no visible damage *Valero 83,000 bpd: no visible damage *Pasadena Refining 100,000 bpd: no visible damage *Shell Deer Park 340,000 bpd: no visible damage BEAUMONT *Exxon Mobil 349,000 bpd: no lights TEXAS CITY *BP 467,700 bpd: no lights *Valero 200,000 bpd: no lights *Marathon 76,000 bpd: no lights, no flares PORT ARTHUR *Total 232,000 bpd: no lights, tilted power poles *Valero 325,000 bpd: no lights, tilted power poles, crew working on one pole *Motiva 285,000 bpd: no lights NOT SEEN: *Citgo 300,000 bpd Corpus Christi *Flint Hills 300,000 bpd Corpus Christi *ConocoPhillips 247,000 Sweeny (Reporting by Erwin Seba; Editing by Andre Grenon)
Texas National Guard troops give supplies to residents after Hurricane Ike in Galveston, Texas September 14, 2008. Rescuers made their way through piles of debris and water-filled streets in Texas seaside ...
