Fog halts traffic at Houston Ship Channel

15-Dec-06

Dense fog, resulting in limited visibility making navigation unsafe, has halted ships from moving along the 53 mile (85.3 kilometer) Houston Ship Channel to the busiest U.S. petrochemical port on Thursday. Tankers running through the channel supply crude oil to refineries in Houston and Texas City, which account for 11.8% of U.S. refining capacity. Ship pilots in Texas City, near the Gulf of Mexico entrance to the channel, and Houston stopped guiding vessels shortly after 1 a.m. CST (0700 GMT), the Coast Guard said. No time has been set for resuming ship movement.