U.S. Gulf Coast energy companies on Friday advanced the recovery from Hurricane Ida on a few fronts, but slipped elsewhere as lack of crews, power and fuel reversed earlier production gains. Ports were reopening and some pipelines restarted as companies completed post-storm evaluations. However, larger hurdles remained for producers and refiners that struggled to get up and running. The White House sought to ease fuel shortages in the region, authorizing the release of 1.5 million barrels of crude oil to Exxon Mobil to produce gasoline. Four large refineries in the state remain shut. Widespread fuel and power shortages hampered recovery. About 880,000 homes and businesses in the state lacked power. More than a third of gasoline stations were without fuel, according to tracking firm GasBuddy. The shortages included aviation fuel for helicopters that conduct post-hurricane aerial evaluations and ferry workers to and from platforms. Ida’s winds crushed fuel depots and …