Exxon: no severe damage to Chalmette from Gustav

NEW YORK (Reuters) - ExxonMobil Corp's (XOM.N) joint venture 193,000 barrel-per-day Chalmette refinery in Louisiana suffered no major damage from Hurricane Gustav, but no restart date has been set yet, the oil major said.

"A damage assessment team is at the facility, and based upon initial assessments damage does not appear to be severe," Exxon said in an update posted on its Website late Wednesday.

"Restart plans have been developed pending results of the final damage assessment, but we are unable to provide a restart schedule at this time," it added.

The Chalmette refinery is owned by Chalmette Refining, a 50-50 joint venture between Exxon Mobil and the state-owned oil company of Venezuela, Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA).

At Exxon's 503,000-bpd Baton Rouge refinery in Louisiana, workers were continuing a detailed damage assessment but the complex -- which includes refining and chemical facilities -- stayed shut "due to damage associated with Gustav," it said.

"We are assessing restart options, but are unable to provide a restart schedule at this time," the company said.

Exxon's 567,000-bpd Baytown and 349,000-bpd Beaumont refineries in Texas returned on Wednesday to normal rates after they were reduced due to Hurricane Gustav, according to company spokeswoman Prem Nair.

(Reporting by Haitham Haddadinl Editing by John Picinich)