NEW YORK - The National Hurricane Center said on Tuesday that Tropical Storm Dean is heading farther south and west than originally expected, and may end up in, or northwest of, the Caribbean.

Investors are watching progress of the storm for potential impact it may have on oil and gas operations in the Gulf of Mexico.

Dean is moving westward at 20 knots in the subtropical area, the weather monitoring center said. Within 2 to 3 days, Dean will move farther west with a decrease in forward speed. At that point, the storm's future becomes "highly uncertain" because different storm-prediction software models show Dean heading in slightly different directions.