Hovensa says no evacuation plans for St Croix plant

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hovensa LLC sees no need to shut down or evacuate its 500,000 barrels-per-day refinery in the Virgin Islands based on the latest information on Tropical Storm Dean, a company spokesman said on Wednesday.

"According to the latest data we have on Tropical Storm Dean, we do not expect to evacuate or to shut down the refinery," Alex Moorhead, a Hovensa spokesman, told Reuters.

"We are closely monitoring the weather reports and we will revise plans as necessary," Moorhead added.

Tropical Storm Dean, currently in the mid-Atlantic Ocean, is expected to strengthen into the first hurricane of 2007 this week.

The Hovensa refinery in St. Croix -- one of the largest refining complexes in the Western hemisphere -- is a joint venture between U.S. oil firm Hess and Venezuela's state oil firm PDVSA.