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Hurricane Isaias Prompts Gulf Oil Shutdowns and Threatens Refineries

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 8 outlets across the spectrum.

9 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Satellite view of a large hurricane with a clear eye over the Gulf of Mexico near Florida.
Image via CNBCHow images are chosenReport this image

Hurricane Isaias, described as the first Atlantic hurricane of the season, was on a path toward the northern Gulf Coast. According to CBS News, Chevron and Shell were shutting down production and evacuating offshore facilities. Bloomberg reported that nearly three-quarters of Gulf oil output was shut in, and it said about 500,000 barrels a day of refining capacity lay in the storm’s projected path, a figure the Daily Wire also cited. CNBC and MarketWatch reported that fuel markets were already tight before the storm. Several outlets said the storm could push fuel prices higher, with the extent of any disruption depending on its intensity.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. Hurricane Isaias is the first Atlantic hurricane of the season and was on a path toward the northern Gulf Coast.

    Reported byLeft1Center1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    NPR
    Center
    Financial Times

  2. About 500,000 barrels a day of oil-refining capacity lie in the storm’s projected path.

    Reported byLeft1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    Bloomberg
    Far Right
    The Daily Wire

  3. Offshore oil producers have suspended operations, and Chevron and Shell were reported to be shutting down production and evacuating facilities.

    Reported byLeft1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    CBS News
    Far Right
    The Daily Wire

  4. An estimate reported that nearly three-quarters of oil production in the Gulf region was shut in.

    One outletBloomberg· Left

  5. Fuel markets were already tight before the storm, with retail gas and diesel prices squeezing consumers.

    Reported byLeft2Center2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    NBC News, Bloomberg
    Center
    CNBC, MarketWatch

  6. Coverage said the storm could push fuel prices higher, with the extent of disruption depending on its intensity.

    Reported byLeft1Center1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    Bloomberg
    Center
    CNBC
    Far Right
    The Daily Wire

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.

  • The storm will significantly disrupt fuel supply and push prices higher.

    Bloomberg and CBS report shut-ins, evacuations and price effects. The Daily Wire says the extent depends on the storm’s intensity. MarketWatch says Atlantic supply disruptions usually end up being a blip, but this year could be very different.

How each side tells it

Compare views

  • the left

    4 outlets

    Left-rated headlines lead with output and price effects, such as Bloomberg’s “Shuts Almost Three-Quarters of Gulf Oil Output” and CBS’s “halts oil production, threatening prices”, while NPR’s headline frames the story around how the industry is preparing.

    Hurricane Isaias halts oil production, threatening prices
    CBS NewsLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    3 outlets

    Center headlines describe the storm’s path and its effect on production in plain terms, such as CNBC’s “disrupts U.S. oil production”, while MarketWatch uses a “stress test” metaphor for the market.

    Oil and gas production disrupted as Hurricane Isaias barrels towards Gulf
    Financial TimesCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    1 outlet

    Only one right-side outlet is in the sample, the far-right Daily Wire, whose headline “Gas Prices Could Soar Again. This Time, Iran Isn’t To Blame.” puts consumer gas prices first and sets the storm against an earlier cause, Iran.

    Gas Prices Could Sensational language“Soar”Soar suggests a dramatic jump, while the supplied text only describes a risk that prices could rise, depending on the storm’s intensity.More neutral: riseDisagree with this highlight? Again. This Time, Iran Isn’t To Blame.
    The Daily WireFar RightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right1

    Soar

In the outlets’ own words

  • Sensational language

    SoarMore neutral: rise

    Soar suggests a dramatic jump, while the supplied text only describes a risk that prices could rise, depending on the storm’s intensity.

    Gas Prices Could Soar Again.

    Used byThe Daily Wire (Far Right)

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

4 outlets

Leads with

  • shut-in Gulf oil output
  • major producers halting production
  • price impact on crude and fuel
See the 4 headlines from the leftHide the headlines

From the center

3 outlets

Leads with

  • storm path toward Gulf states
  • disruption to oil and gas production
  • a fuel market already under strain

Leaves out

  • the 500,000-barrel refining figure, which the supplied center text does not mention
  • the share of Gulf output shut in

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 3 headlines from the centerHide the headlines
  • Financial TimesCenter

    Oil and gas production disrupted as Hurricane Isaias barrels towards Gulf

    First Atlantic hurricane of the season headed towards Florida, Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi

    Read at Financial Times (opens in a new tab)
  • MarketWatchCenter

    Hurricane Isaias to ‘stress test’ oil markets already hobbled by tight fuel supplies

    Supply disruptions during the Atlantic hurricane season usually end up being a blip. This year could be very different.

    Read at MarketWatch (opens in a new tab)
  • CNBCCenter

    Hurricane Isaias disrupts U.S. oil production in Gulf of Mexico, threatens refineries

    The hurricane could tighten a fuel market that is already facing big disruptions from the wars in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

    Read at CNBC (opens in a new tab)

From the right

1 outlet

Leads with

  • gas prices could rise again
  • Gulf Coast refineries at risk
  • no Iran link to the new price rise

Leaves out

  • the wars in Eastern Europe and the Middle East that CNBC cites as pressure on fuel markets
  • named offshore operators such as Chevron and Shell, in the supplied text

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the headline from the rightHide the headlines
  • The Daily WireFar Right

    Gas Prices Could Sensational language“Soar”Soar suggests a dramatic jump, while the supplied text only describes a risk that prices could rise, depending on the storm’s intensity.More neutral: riseDisagree with this highlight? Again. This Time, Iran Isn’t To Blame.

    A hurricane barreling toward the southeastern United States could threaten Gulf Coast refineries and push fuel prices even higher. Refineries that process roughly 500,000 barrels of oil a day lie within Hurricane Isaias’ potential damage zone. …

    Read at The Daily Wire (opens in a new tab)

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    First to report

    NBC News, Oct 8, 10:57 AM EDT

  • Center

    22 hr 20 min later

    Its first report, Oct 9, 9:18 AM EDT

  • Right

    19 hr 56 min later

    Its first report, Oct 9, 6:53 AM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. NBC NewsLeftOct 8, 10:57 AM EDT
  2. BloombergLeftOct 8, 2:32 PM EDT
  3. The Daily WireFar RightOct 9, 6:53 AM EDT
  4. CNBCCenterOct 9, 9:18 AM EDT
  5. NPRLeftOct 9, 12:03 PM EDT
  6. MarketWatchCenterOct 9, 12:12 PM EDT
  7. Financial TimesCenterOct 9, 2:38 PM EDT
  8. CBS NewsLeftOct 9, 6:35 PM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

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