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No Gasoline Shortage: 6.6 million Texans using less gasoline...
Source in the Petroleum Industry | September 15, 2008 | vanity

Posted on 09/15/2008 2:45:45 PM PDT by topher

People in the Houston area have many problems. One thing that is a problem: no electricty to most of the service stations. That means a large metro area in the United States is using less gasoline. Not by choice, but without electricity, the Service Stations cannot pump gasoline.

People may claim there is a shortage of gasoline in Houston. Technically, that is incorrect. Gasoline tanker trucks might have trouble getting to service stations. And if the Service Station does not electricty, how can it dispense gasoline.

The Pipelines, refineries, as well as gasoline tankers (ships) should be back to full operation in most places.

Hurricane Ike may have tightened supplies and even caused spot shortages across the country.

But President Bush has suspended rules on rules for reformulated gasoline. That means that any gasoline can be used in any market to keep problems from arising from the shutdown of refineries/oil importing/gasoline importing/oil production.

Supplies may be tight, but that does not justify $5.50 a gallon prices. Especially when President Bush has suspended EPA rules to make gasoline easier to get...


TOPICS: US: Texas; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: energy; gasoline; ike; transportation
A Democratic president would not have suspended EPA rules.

A Democratic president would be making this situation worse by proposing a BIG GOVERNMENT SOLUTION ala LBJ...

1 posted on 09/15/2008 2:45:45 PM PDT by topher
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To: topher

True, but in other parts of the country, we filled all of our car tanks up so we would not run out. The media told us to do so!


2 posted on 09/15/2008 2:51:44 PM PDT by JFC (The libs fear us Republicans.. wait until JUDGEMENT DAY!!)
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To: topher
Bear market on oil -- oil drops below $100 a barrel.

Minimal damage to Gulf oil production from my source. Things offshore in the process of going online as soon as possible.

Also, there are bearish factors on gasoline -- no significant damage to any of the refineries. Dropping reformulated gasoline rules makes it easier to import gasoline directly...

The only significant factor is this is the time of year that refineries turn to fuel oil production for winter. But fuel oil can also be imported into the Northeast.

No reason for high prices...

3 posted on 09/15/2008 2:53:05 PM PDT by topher (Let us return to old-fashioned morality - morality that has stood the test of time...)
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To: topher

OUTSTANDING! God bless President Bush!


4 posted on 09/15/2008 2:54:11 PM PDT by Enterprise (No Oil for Democrats!)
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To: topher
And if the Service Station does not electricty, how can it dispense gasoline.

As one who spent 17 days on portable generator power in Central Florida in 2004..., WELL DUH!!!

I had to drive 80+ miles roundtrip to fill up my 5 gallon cans!

As a result, Florida mandated that some service stations provide emergency power for their operation. I have no idea how well this "mandate" worked out (and I hope I never have to find out!)

I do know that, despite offers to lend emergency generators to some stations (and wire them up professionally), it just didn't happen in 2004. As a result, gasoline sat in the tanks with no way to pump it out!

5 posted on 09/15/2008 3:10:39 PM PDT by ExSES (the "bottom-line")
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To: topher
but without electricity, the Service Stations cannot pump gasoline.

Will there be a political kneejerk demanding generators at gas stations as happened in Florida?

6 posted on 09/15/2008 3:20:43 PM PDT by Retired Chemist
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To: Retired Chemist

but without electricity, the Service Stations cannot pump gasoline.

Will there be a political kneejerk demanding generators at gas stations as happened in Florida?


Are all you turkeys dumber than dogshirt? My uncle hooked up my grandfathers tractor to the gas pump back in ‘66 when we had the big NE-NY electric outage, hit us in PA.

He made the Atlantic gas magazine, although they put words in his mouth. The picture wasn’t edited.


7 posted on 09/15/2008 3:35:58 PM PDT by Eagles2003
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To: Eagles2003
25 years ago Hurricane Elicia traveled EXACTLY the same path and had EXACTLY the same wind speeds. The only difference was that Elicia tracked over ground at 3-4 mph and required 24 hours to pass us by. (I was living in Clear Lake at the time).

I think electricity was out for 1-1.5 days. Then we all went back to work, with the sound of chainsaws in the background. No disaster declarations, no weeping and gnashing of the teeth.

8 posted on 09/15/2008 4:32:52 PM PDT by The Duke (I have met the enemy, and he is named 'Apathy'!)
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To: Eagles2003
Are all you turkeys dumber than dogshirt? My uncle hooked up my grandfathers tractor to the gas pump back in ‘66 when we had the big NE-NY electric outage, hit us in PA.

In 1966, there were points that are replaced computers today.

There is no way to sell gasoline with out the computer operation.

As far as that goes, gasoline tanker trucks could supply gasoline/diesel manually via the National Guard or something else.

But most gasoline stations have electronic (computerized) cash registers (that allows credit card use). Also, the lights around the station provide protection for customers at night.

So you need to supply electricity. I don't think it is very feasible to pump gasoline by some alternate means.

If you pay for gasoline, and you do not allow for credit cards, then people will have to carry large sums of cash -- just for gasoline.

The fact a service station allows credit cards means that there is not a lot of cash changing hands.

Your basic credit card transaction requires access to a computer network to do a number of activities...

9 posted on 09/15/2008 7:21:08 PM PDT by topher (Let us return to old-fashioned morality - morality that has stood the test of time...)
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To: The Duke
My short answer is technology has changed drastically since 1983, and maybe trees have grown up around Houston...

Houston was smaller back then. How many were without power after that storm? I wonder if 25 years has allowed a number of trees to grow to be a problem -- especially pine trees -- which are known to cause problems in storms like Alicia and Ike...

It still takes time to get 3 to 4 million people without electricity back online. It would take quite a few crews to get things online quicker.

For Hurricane Gustav, Baton Rouge has 110,000 customers (homes/businesses without power for Entergy (formerly Gulf States Utility).

Last Saturday, not all the power was restored.

Atlanta, Georgia and ice storm of 2000 basically almost all of Fulton County to lose power. It was so bad in 2000 that the telephone and cell phones sites died as battery backup for these sites require electricity -- and the batteries will run down in a short period of time.

10 posted on 09/15/2008 7:34:11 PM PDT by topher (Let us return to old-fashioned morality - morality that has stood the test of time...)
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To: topher

Hey...good points. Interstingly, I was in Atlanta for the “no name” storm too. It’s a good thing I’m nice and safe in Tampa, FL these days! :)


11 posted on 09/15/2008 7:39:23 PM PDT by The Duke (I have met the enemy, and he is named 'Apathy'!)
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To: Eagles2003

It would take a lot of tractors to power up today’s multiple pump gas stations.


12 posted on 09/15/2008 7:40:15 PM PDT by Retired Chemist
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To: The Duke
I think electricity was out for 1-1.5 days [after Hurricane Alicia in 1983].

For some perhaps. We were without electricity for 7 days after Alicia, and we lived in Memorial.

No disaster declarations, no weeping and gnashing of the teeth.

I might have gnashed my teeth.

13 posted on 09/15/2008 8:03:35 PM PDT by rustbucket
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To: topher
topher said: "Supplies may be tight, but that does not justify $5.50 a gallon prices."

If a service station owner anticipated the power outage and invested $2000 for a standby generator and the transfer switch to control it, how would you suggest that he recover the cost? Or would you prefer that every service station shut down until the grid is restored?

If you went to a service station to fill up and already had half a tank of gas, what price would you charge for somebody who wished to buy the gas already in your tank?

If a service station owner in a storm-hit area was enterprising enough to arrange for a special delivery of gas, paying extra money to get the delivery from an adjoining state, would you prefer to pay a premium to purchase this gas or would you prefer that the station owner stay closed?

14 posted on 09/15/2008 9:20:33 PM PDT by William Tell (RKBA for California (rkba.members.sonic.net) - Volunteer by contacting Dave at rkba@sonic.net)
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