Corpus Christi Ship Channel Closed After Vehicle Disrupts Energy Traffic

A vehicle entering the Corpus Christi Ship Channel temporarily halted tanker traffic through one of the nation's largest crude oil and LNG export routes as crews worked to recover the pickup truck.

(Reuters) — The Corpus Christi ship channel in southern Texas was closed on Wednesday after a vehicle entered the waterway, the U.S. Coast Guard said after halting traffic through the key route for American energy shipments.

A man accidentally drove into the water between 5:30 a.m. (1130 GMT) and 6 a.m., while doing donuts on the beach, Port Aransas South Jetty posted on Facebook, citing police who were planning to remove a pickup truck.

As of July 1, there was no movement of tankers carrying crude oil, refined petroleum products, or liquefied natural gas through the channel, according to LSEG ship tracking data.

At least 11 tankers were berthed at various locations near Corpus Christi and Ingleside along the coast, while another 11 waited at anchorage. The port currently handles about half of all U.S. crude oil exports and is also the top LNG point for export.

Responders were working to recover the vehicle, the Coast Guard said, adding that it anticipates the channel to be opened by the end of the day.

The Port of Corpus Christi, one of the country's largest export hubs of petroleum products, especially crude oil, remained open.

It is the top exporter of crude produced from America's top shale basin, the Permian, spread across Texas and New Mexico. It also ships crude from the Eagle Ford shale region in South Texas, and handles significant volumes of liquefied natural gas.

Several major refineries operate in and around the Corpus Christi area, processing crude oil into gasoline, diesel and other fuels, much of which is then exported through the channel.