Mexican oil ports closed due to bad weather

Mexico's main oil ports of Dos Bocas, Cayo Arcas and Pajaritos (Coatzacoalcos) have been closed since Monday because of bad weather.
The three Gulf of Mexico ports move some 80% of Mexico's total crude oil exports.
Mexico's Pacific coast oil port of Salina Cruz, which ships crude oil to Asia, was also shut on Monday afternoon.
It is unclear how long operations will remain suspended.
Crude oil shipments from Mexico have been disrupted in recent months owing to bad weather from prevalent cold fronts.
Extended closures of the Gulf of Mexico ports are sometimes blamed for causing spikes in oil prices.
Several Asia-based oil traders told Portworld today that an extended closure of the Mexican ports could "definitely" push up crude prices already firm on a sliding US dollar.
Crude prices jumped to a new record close on the NYMEX of $111.76 per barrel yesterday.
Mexico is the world's ninth-biggest exporter of crude oil, shipping an average 1.7 million barrels per day in 2007.
It is also one of the top three suppliers to the US, which reportedly buys some 80% of Mexico's oil exports.