Houston, we have a problem Ships in waiting game outside channel
MORE than 100 vessels were yesterday waiting outside the Houston Ship Channel, which remained partially closed to ships in the wake of Hurricane Ike, the US Coast Guard said. The channel, which gives tankers access to refineries in Texas City, Baytown and Houston, had vessel traffic service, but navigation aids and shoaling were still being checked, a USCG spokeswoman said. Meanwhile, Hurricane Ike blew life into the tanker derivatives market as oil traders placed bets on the US needing increased gasoline shipments if refineries from the US Gulf were hit. Markets — Page 15