The frigid temperatures that descended into Texas in February and paralyzed the state’s energy grid caused the largest reduction in Gulf Coast refinery operations in nearly five years, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in a research note Monday.

refinery Texas throughput

Gulf Coast refinery runs decreased by 2.4 million b/d, or 28%, to 6.3 million b/d during the week ended Feb. 19, the agency said, marking the steepest weekly drop since the damage imposed by Hurricane Harvey in September 2017.

Most of the disruptions and shutdowns were among refiners in the Beaumont/Port Arthur, Houston and Corpus Christi regions of Texas, EIA said.

“The Gulf Coast accounts for more than half of total U.S. refinery capacity, and Texas alone accounts for about 32%,” researchers said. “By the...