North American Fuel Shortage Reports

[lawnchair]

lower Fla has fuel, upper fla does not...

Peninsular Florida is a primary market for the giant Hovensa refinery in St. Croix, USVI, which is doing just fine, but is running basically to capacity. Mainland, apparently, is mostly supplied through the pipes from Houston and Louisiana.

[ushoys]

"I noticed in another thread the mention of nashville being supplied by BARGES up the tenn river perhaps?

Nashville is on the Cumberland River. The Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers join together near Paducah, KY and they flow into the Ohio River which, in turn, flows into the Mississippi. It's common for large barges to supply liquid fuel to Tennessee from the Gulf via barges up the Mississippi River - going upstream the whole way. TVA gets almost of all its diesel (#2 distillate) for gas turbine fuel and coal plant light-off this way, though I don't know how much gasoline normally takes this watery route.

[lawnchair]

I noticed in another thread the mention of nashville being supplied by BARGES up the tenn river perhaps?

This is the case from time to time (also true in the Saint Louis metro, etc). That fact is not really germane to the current problem.

It's not that the pipelines aren't functional, with minor complaints. They're okay. Waiting for something in them.

It's that there's insufficient gasoline/distillates going in the other end. Switching to trucks, railcars, barges, or bike messengers, isn't going to fix that.

Now, if we start getting massive finished product shipments from Europe (or wherever), import of that may be impacted by local issues around the Houston Ship Channel. Then, we may have to look into alternative temporary shipping routes.

With an actual supply disruption, solving a localized outage is just going to be whack-a-mole unless there is major pressure for widespread demand destruction.

[GoghGoner]

I don't know why an Oklahoma talk radio site is the first to report gas shortages in D.C. but here it is.

Hurricanes Ike and Gustav left behind an ugly mess in the form of continuing fuel shortages. Washington, DC is the latest area hit as yellow tape covers many gas pumps. Meanwhile, things have gotten so bad in Atlanta, Georgia, drivers have been following tanker trucks to service stations and camping out next to the pumps. The hurricanes hit hard at Gulf oil platforms and Texas refineries, which have been slow to get back up to full capacity. The problem worsened as anxious motorists topped off their tanks.

LINK

[lawnchair]

Speaking of Atlanta, have we heard from Airline_Pilot on this one? I'm hearing some distillate problems, but I assume, from the lack of general media panic, that JetA supply hasn't been a problem at Hartsfeld.

However, for the thousands of random sods: pilots, baggage handlers, TSA, etc, I imagine that personal gasoline shortages are a problem. Good start that ATL is on MARTA, for some.

[AirlinePilot]

I havent checked my usual sources for the Jet A situation. The gasoline problem is fairly big and we still are encountering widespread random outages and lines when tankers do show up.

In the last few days where I reside (southside of ATL) shortages have been more widespread than last week and it appears the problem is not getting better yet.

I'll see what I can come up with on the Jet fuel situation today and tommorow as I am on a trip presently.

[Daculling]

I don't know why an Oklahoma talk radio site is the first to report gas shortages in D.C. but here it is.

Exxon on the way to work closed. No price, bags on pumps. All others open. This is just North of DC.

[nobodypanic]

still plenty of gas here in the heart of US naval power. no problems yet. strange, huh?

[lawnchair]

still plenty of gas here in the heart of US naval power. no problems yet. strange, huh?

Coastal port cities from Tampa to No'fuk get their refined products largely by shipments from the massive Hovensa refinery in the Virgin Islands. Whatever Euro imports we get would help. I would expect them to be reasonably supplied, but for not much of that gasoline to trickle inland very far.

[DantesPeak]

The DOE reported today that the Centenial, Colonial, Magellan, Explorer and Planatation pipelines were still running at reduced rates. Therefore inland locations hit by shortages may still be at least a week away from returning to normal supplies.

[emeraldg40]

I don't know why an Oklahoma talk radio site is the first to report gas shortages in D.C. but here it is.

Hurricanes Ike and Gustav left behind an ugly mess in the form of continuing fuel shortages. Washington, DC is the latest area hit as yellow tape covers many gas pumps. Meanwhile, things have gotten so bad in Atlanta, Georgia, drivers have been following tanker trucks to service stations and camping out next to the pumps. The hurricanes hit hard at Gulf oil platforms and Texas refineries, which have been slow to get back up to full capacity. The problem worsened as anxious motorists topped off their tanks.

LINK

shhhh dont tell anyone the greatness of Oklahoma they may decide to move there and ruin it ........Boomer Sooner

[nobodypanic]

still plenty of gas here in the heart of US naval power. no problems yet. strange, huh?

Coastal port cities from Tampa to No'fuk get their refined products largely by shipments from the massive Hovensa refinery in the Virgin Islands. Whatever Euro imports we get would help. I would expect them to be reasonably supplied, but for not much of that gasoline to trickle inland very far.

well that must be it! thnx.

[dukey]

ATLANTA, Sept 30 (Reuters) - A severe fuel shortage has gripped parts of the southeastern United States, causing long lines at filling stations and symbolizing for some people their fears about the wider economy.

The shortage began two weeks ago in Atlanta, the region's largest city, when oil refineries on the Gulf Coast were shut down by hurricanes Gustav and Ike earlier this month. Parts of north Georgia, western North Carolina and parts of Tennessee were also affected.

The effects on motorists have been dramatic. Most service stations in Atlanta are out of gas, with plastic bags placed over the pumps or signs saying "out".

As a result, drivers are cruising the city hunting for gas -- often with a fuel meter needle hovering close to empty. When they find gas, it's often above $4 a gallon.

Reuters

[IgnoranceIsBliss]

I'm north of the Atlanta metro area. Yes, the shortage continues.

First, our governor delayed asking for help (suspension of strict EPA rules so gas could brought in from other areas). Then he went to Europe for a trade mission. Now today, he is calling on the Feds to release some fuel from the strategic reserves just for us.

Here in my town, I was able to find one station with gas yesterday. In and out in 10 minutes (but only because they had about 15 pumps at this large station). Price was around $3.95.
I hear things are worse in city of Atlanta.

The news today said it could be another 2 weeks because it takes a few days to get a refinery up and running once power comes on, then then another 6 days to truck it up here.

Doesn't really matter for me right now because I'm a stay at home mom and my husband's commute is only 7 minutes.

[TheDude]

New York Frickin' Times!: Frustration in the South as a Gasoline Shortage Drags On

“At first I was a good sport, but this is getting ridiculous,” said Marsha Lewis, 43, an administrative assistant who lives in Dacula, Ga., and commutes to Atlanta. “I drive an hour to work every day, and looking for gasoline has become my entire life.”

John Temples, 49, a self-employed construction worker, waited 30 minutes to refill his brown GMC van at a Shell station in Decatur, Ga. “This is a friendly town, and right now it’s basically just an annoyance,” he said. “But if there were an emergency and people needed to get out of town, things could get violent.”

Waiting behind five cars at a BP station in Atlanta, Mike Adams, 28, a paralegal, called the shortage “an absolute catastrophe.”

“Every few days they say it’s going to get better,” Mr. Adams said, “but it only seems to get worse.”

Large Gas Supply Could Arrive by End of Week, Some Experts Say

However, it was a different story Monday. "I was just in Atlanta Monday. There is no gasoline in Atlanta, in Charlotte, in Chattanooga. It's like a Third World country," former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Sunday.

Police officers and a security guard were on hand to manage the flow of cars at a downtown Atlanta gas station around midday Monday.

Kathy Burdett, 49, of Forest Park, said the shortage ruined her weekend plans to visit Stone Mountain with out-of-town guests.

"I didn't go anywhere all weekend and we kept close to home," said Burdett, who had to hunt for the gasoline her friends needed to make it home to Tennessee.

[3aidlillahi]

I was in Western NC and E. TN and the fuel crisis is very bad. It seemed like about 90% of all gas stations were completely out of gas and all of those that had gas, only had regular. Even then, maybe half of the pumps were on. So we're looking at 95% of all regular gas was off the market and about 99% of all pumps were closed.

It's started to spread to where I am now, about 200 miles east of the App Mts. Only a few gas stations now, but if more fuel doesn't arrive, the situation could get pretty bad. There are a lot of SUV's and suburban households here, which can consume vast amount of gasoline quickly.

But I'm on my bike and have enough food for 6 months. Fark em all. I hope the gas situation lasts for another month. It'll drive 75% of the cars off the road - hopefully, literally.

[dunewalker]

First, our governor delayed asking for help (suspension of strict EPA rules so gas could brought in from other areas). Then he went to Europe for a trade mission. Now today, he is calling on the Feds to release some fuel from the strategic reserves just for us.

I don't think the United States HAS a strategic fuel reserve. The SPR (Strategic Petroleum Reserve) is filled with CRUDE OIL, which has to go to the refinery before it does anyone any good.

[Byron100]

While Atlanta-area suppliers managed to refuel a good percentage of stations on Monday, most of them appeared to have been sucked dry once more. Even the QT near here has some empty pumps, according to my friend that drove past there a little while ago. Lines still not as bad as they were over the weekend, probably due to the lack of "tank toppers" (that's seen as very bad form it seems, to make a line even longer when you're sitting on 7/8th of a tank.)

Might take the bus / train around Atlanta tomorrow to see how things look around town, as well as seeing if ridership is still increasing.

Atlanta, one of the most car-dependent cities in the world, is quickly learning that gas is not to be taken for granted.

[IgnoranceIsBliss]

First, our governor delayed asking for help (suspension of strict EPA rules so gas could brought in from other areas). Then he went to Europe for a trade mission. Now today, he is calling on the Feds to release some fuel from the strategic reserves just for us.

I don't think the United States HAS a strategic fuel reserve. The SPR (Strategic Petroleum Reserve) is filled with CRUDE OIL, which has to go to the refinery before it does anyone any good.

Oops! I really do know that but my brain is fried from lack of sleep due to my 2 month old baby. (plus insomnia last night due to worrying)
I can't find the article on line where I read that this morning, but that's what I remember it saying.

[pedalling_faster]

i think the cascading nature of Peak Oil will be more obvious when we have the combination of fuel shortages and hurricane, where people are unable to evacuate because they don't have the fuel.

hopefully they'll get some fuel back before a late-season hurricane makes things more complicated.