Ernesto weakens as its nears Mexican coast again
Storm Ernesto
* Hurricane warnings called off
* Major oil-exporting ports remain closed
* Officials say two people drowned in Tabasco (Updates with position, death toll, Pemex officials reporting no damage)
MEXICO CITY, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Ernesto skirted the coast of the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday, sending wind gusts and showers across the state of Veracruz, home to some of Mexico's busiest ports and oil installations.
The storm had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (96 kph) and was drifting slowly just off the coast in the southern Gulf of Mexico, about 5 miles (8 km) north of Coatzacoalcos, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said in its 2 p.m. EDT (1800 GMT) advisory.
Mexico's government downgraded a hurricane warning for the coast of Veracruz to a tropical storm warning and the NHC said further weakening was expected as Ernesto moved over mountainous terrain on the mainland. However, torrential rain and flooding was expected in Veracruz and authorities reported two deaths.
Officials from state-run oil company Pemex said there were no reports of disruptions to facilities in the region, which include the Minatitlan refinery, producing 185,000 barrels of crude per day.
The eye of the storm had passed the oilfields of Cantarell and Ku Maloob Zaap, which account for just over half of Mexico's oil production of about 2.5 million bpd.
Coatzacoalcos is home to one of Mexico's key oil exporting ports, which has been closed since Wednesday along with Cayo Arcas and Dos Bocas.
Almost all of Mexico's crude oil exports, which totaled 1.425 million bpd in June, are shipped to refineries on the Gulf Coast of the United States from the three ports.
Read more » http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/09/storm-ernesto-idUSL2E8J95O520120809
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