Gas shortages reportedly critical in western N.C.

News and Observer ^ | Sep 25, 2008 | Steve Lyttle

[Between the Lines]

Hundreds of cars lined streets this morning as motorists in the Charlotte metro region tried to cope with an ever-worsening gasoline shortage situation.

Some motorists waited up to five hours, and fights were reported as people accused other customers of cutting in line.

Some gas stations that opened this morning with what they thought were ample supplies ran out within a few hours.

Police were called out several times to break up fights among angry customers.

North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley announced late Wednesday night that he had ordered tanker trucks from Tennessee, Wilmington and South Carolina to deliver gas to the western Carolinas. Easley said relief is coming to the area in the next day.

But it is too late to make a difference this morning.

Motorists who had hoped to awaken and find a re-supply of many gas stations were disappointed. The situation looks much the same as it did Wednesday.

At 6 a.m., about 50 cars were in line at the Gate station near the Wal-Mart store off Sardis Road North in southeast Charlotte. By 8:30 a.m., that line had expanded to an estimated 225 vehicles. The lines were even longer, spilling out onto Sardis Road North.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police brought in a mobile watch tower, installing it in the Wal-Mart parking lot to keep an eye on customers and prevent an outbreak of violence among customers desperate to fill their nearly-empty tanks -- or, in some cases, to top off gas tanks that already were half-full.

The Texaco station on outbound East Independence Boulevard at Sharon Amity Road received a gas supply overnight, and customers lined up along both streets before 6 a.m. today. But about 8:30 a.m., clerks came out of the store and put bags over the pumps. The supply had run out.

It was the same story on Pineville-Matthews Road in south Charlotte, at an Exxon station. Clerks thought they had enough gas from an overnight shipment to last the day. Instead, the gas was gone by 8 a.m.

North Charlotte wasn't immune from the problems. Police report congested traffic on Mallard Creek Road at West W.T. Harris Boulevard -- due to customers waiting in line for gas.

And police in Matthews report the line along Monroe Road stretches for about a quarter-mile approaching Matthews Township Parkway, as motorists wait to get gas at one of few stations with fuel.

Police are directing traffic at a number of locations, where long lines of customers waiting for gas are blocking travel lanes on major highways -- including East Independence Boulevard and Pineville-Matthews Road. Matthews police were monitoring the flow of customer traffic at the Shell and Exxon stations on East Independence Boulevard at Matthews-Mint Hill Road, near Butler High School.

At 8:45 a.m., both of those stations had gas -- at least for a while.

Similar problems are being reported in the Fort Mill-Rock Hill area, in Gastonia, and in Union County. Motorists report all the stations in the Weddington-Wesley Chapel area of southwest Union County were without fuel late Wednesday night.

Abandoned vehicles could be seen this morning along the sides of roads across the area -- apparently the result of drivers running out of fuel.

One abandoned vehicle was reported before 6 a.m. on the right southbound lane of Wendover Road, between Independence Boulevard and Monroe Road. It was cleared a short time later. Other abandoned vehicles were reported before 9 a.m. on Sharon Road at Sharonview Road; Idlewild Road at East W.T. Harris Boulevard; and Eastway Drive at North Tryon Street.

Abandoned vehicles also were reported in parts of Cabarrus, Gaston, and Union counties, and in York County of South Carolina.

[redstateconfidential]

They suck as drivers too, worse damn ones in the south. ...Happily I will be driving an International 1900S 9 ton Utility Truck through there all next month, every day! Did I mention its got a cow catcher front bumper?

[thackney]

The fire was in Texas a day and a half ago. It affected at least three different refined products pipelines.

Kinder Morgan Shuts Texas Oil Terminal After Fire
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aY10r42f3f34&refer=home

[stayathomemom]

Aha! I have to show this to my husband. We had a debate about this a few days ago.

[nascarnation]

Striking how much he looks like Rielle Hunter’s boyfriend in that picture.

[itsthejourney]

Whatever. I live here and I drive a gas guzzling SUV and I’m saying there are no lines and prices have dropped.

[phil1750]

Prices here in S.W. Missouri have been dropping steadly. Today we are down to $3.24.

[PapaBear3625]

The EPA has waived certain fuel requirements in order to make it easier to use the supplies we have domestically and increase flexibility in what we can import. This waives requirements for gasoline sold or distributed in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, part of Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.

But you also have to have the State authorities ALSO waive STATE regulations.

[itsthejourney]

Today we are down to $3.24.

I'm jealous!

[cyberaxe]

right on the Colonial piptline.

.....zactly.....

.....they get their gas from the gulf.....

.....those tanks aint no-where near big enough.....

.....when those tanks stopped being filled up for about a week, they went empty.....

.....the queen city has always been known for not keeping up with growth (hwy 85!?!?!?).....

.....the stations tanks hold more than a truck can deliver.....

.....trucks are sitting in line at the terminals just like cars are at stations.....

.....might want to look at what companies own tanks at "Paw Creek".....

.....are those tank owners under obligations to stations in particular areas?.....

.....two of the three pipelines coming this way are only running at @ 85% due to the refineries and IKE.....

.....it will eventually get better, but building bigger tanks would help this situation in the future.....

[mlocher]

Thanks for the pipeline picture. It is now clear to me that the demand is outstripping the (damaged) pipeline’s ability to deliver the gasoline. I am sure that if the law of supply and demand were in place, then the price of gasoline would rise and there would be less lines.

[Mediocrates]

Headed that direction now. Maybe the problems will be gone when I get there, but I doubt it. Filing up in TN!

[Between the Lines]

Will someone explain the wisdom of concentrating our enery production in one vulnerable place?

There are hundreds of reasons to concentrate a particular type of industry in a few areas instead of spreading it over a wide area. All of them have to do with price.

[thackney]

Where in Texas?

Last week I waited an hour and a half in line in Missouri City, Texas.

The problem was never state wide and the Texas shortages have been isolated to small areas.

Three refined products lines were shut down yesterday.

[thackney]

Gas shortages are not widespread
http://www.star-telegram.com/business/story/932157.html
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Sep 25, 2008

A few “sold out” signs are starting to pop up on gasoline pumps in the Fort Worth area, but drivers in North Texas still have not encountered the gasoline shortages that have been frustrating drivers in the Southeastern United States.

Nonetheless, the shortfall in gasoline production from refineries that were idled by Hurricane Ike has worked its way to the Metroplex, which gets most of its fuel from the Gulf Coast but now is getting less of it.

Local gasoline distributors, who transport fuel between wholesale terminals and retail stations, said Wednesday that in most cases their suppliers have them on allocation, meaning they are limiting how much fuel they will sell.

[Between the Lines]

Thanks for the link!

[conservativeharleyguy]

"...Asheville is a Wacky Liberal Strong Hold, they like to call themselves “San Francisco of the East..."

It's the "Santa Fe of the South". Complete with the disproportionate population of sodomites/artists.

[Between the Lines]

Is this just a coincidence?

S.C. passes ethanol law challenged by oil companies - June 26, 2008

And the same thing in NC:

Refiners Sue to Block Law Allowing Jobbers to Splash-Blend E10 (North Carolina) September 3, 2008

[B4Ranch]

With gasoline the law of supply and demand results in people storing gas in unsuitable containers which results in the death and disfigurement of too many innocent citizens.

I know it spounds like a socialistic line of BS but it’s true. Poor folks attempt to store gas in every unsuitable type of container that you can think of. They leak, get stolen, knocked over, emit explosive fumes and generally endanger everyone within 100 yards.

In this day and age gasoline is a needed item to survive, especially in rural areas and out West. If you ever think there is going to be a prolonged shortage, but a small QUIET motorcycle. One you can bring inside ... to keep it from being stolen. QUIET because there’s no reason to attract unwanted attention.

[mlocher]

Thanks. I appreciate the point of view that you have presented. Personally, I would prefer to pay higher prices and not have to wait in line, but I understand that not everyone behaves the same way when they think a crisis is looming. Each region/state does have the right to regulate based on its own local needs. Just don’t let the federal gov’t dictate a “one size fits all” policy.

[meyer]

Interesting - things have been a little sporadic around here (eastern Tennessee) lately. When I took the Escape out for a fillup, the station only had regular. When I took the Civic out to another station, they only had premium (which it uses anyway). They said that this would continue for the next week or two until all the refineries in Texas were fully on line and all the pipelines were primed and filled.

Seems to me that we need some contingency refining capacity located somewhere outside of Texas. Say, South Carolina or Oregon. Somewhere where a single event, like a hurricane, cannot disrupt the supply.