	major u s pipeline may be closed several days the operator of a major u s  oil pipeline shutdown because of flood damage said it may be several days before repairs are made and the system is functioning again dan stevens manager of public and government affairs at texaco inc tx operator of the pipeline through its subsidiary texaco pipeline co said the company hopes repairs will begin in about five days and expects it to take several more days to complete at this point we are lining up what we know we need to get the job done stevens said adding that the timing for repairs will depend on the damage to the pipeline which is difficult to assess because of flooding on the red river the pipeline was shipping roughly barrels of  oil per day or about pct of its capacity during the days preceding its shutdown on saturday stevens said the pipeline was shut down from cushing okla to witchita falls kan on saturday due to an undetermined leak at the red river crossing near the oklahoma texas border because of severe rains a spokesman for texaco said stevens said it was reasonable to suggest the pipeline could operate at full capacity when it reopens in order to make up for the shortfull but cautioned they will talk with customers to determine their requirements oil analysts and traders said they were not sure if the shutdown will continue to raise u s oil prices monday after texaco confirmed that the pipeline had been closed west texas intermediate  in the spot market and on new york mercantile exchange s energy futures complex rose cts a barrel stevens said it was reasonable to suggest the pipeline could operate at full capacity when it reopens in order to make up for the shortfull but cautioned they will talk with customers to determine their requirements oil analysts and traders said they were not sure if the shutdown will continue to raise u s oil prices monday after texaco confirmed that the pipeline had been closed west texas intermediate  in the spot market and on new york mercantile exchange s energy futures complex rose cts a barrel reuter 
