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 DALLAS (AP) - Offshore oil platforms were destroyed, refineries were flooded and gas stations were sporadically out of fuel.
Although hurricanes Katrina and Rita created compounding headaches for energy companies over the summer, the storms ultimately benefited them because, as supplies tightened, prices for gasoline, diesel and jet-fuel soared. Exactly how much money was made will become clearer next week, when the industry begins to detail its third quarter performance, though analysts are expecting huge profits.
"They are just printing money right now," said oil analyst Fadel Gheit at Oppenheimer & Co. in New York. "They are making so many trips to the bank because they can't take all the money there at one time."
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