Shell to continue Deer Park, Texas, refinery operation despite storm risk -sources

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Royal Dutch Shell Plc <RDSa.L> plans to keep its 318,000-barrel-per-day (bpd) joint-venture Deer Park, Texas, refinery in operation despite possible risk from Hurricane Laura, sources familiar with plant operations said on Tuesday.

Shell, the managing partner of the joint-venture refinery with Pemex, plans to again review forecasts for the storm and its possible impact on the refinery located along the Houston Ship Channel, the sources said.

Shell spokesman Curtis Smith said the company is monitoring the storm's progress and assessing potential risk to employees and possible impact on the Deer Park refinery and chemical plant complex.

Smith said Shell has specialists on hand to ensure "steps are taken to minimize any impact from high wind, rain and storm surge from the Ship Channel."

(Reporting by Erwin Seba; Editing by Sandra Maler and Tom Brown)