"Formula change" leaves stations without gas

[rainbow4321]

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/042406dnmetnogas.feca26.html

Motorists already dealing with higher fuel prices now face scattered gasoline shortages locally that some blame on changing fuel formulas.

Employees at several area stations on Sunday said they had no gasoline and weren't sure why. But Holly Lasater, assistant manager at a 7-Eleven store in Plano, said a switch to ethanol could be the culprit.

"That's all I know, because we call them, and they tell us they don't have any," said the woman, whose store hasn't had any gasoline for four days.

Other stations out of gas this weekend were in the White Rock area, Far North Dallas, Grapevine, north Oak Cliff and Rowlett and were handling brands such as Shell, Valero and ExxonMobil. A Shell station in Plano had apologetic signs on its pumps Sunday, telling drivers the station didn't have a drop left.

[TomInTib]

1. Just sneaked right up on them, didn't it?

"Who could have predicted warmer weather and the formulation switch?"

Total BS

[RB TexLa]

10. yes, the two hottest day in March in Dallas since 1925

I guess they should have announced that last month.

[NYC]

2. Could be.

...But Holly Lasater, assistant manager at a 7-Eleven store in Plano, said a switch to ethanol could be the culprit...

So, she doesn't know, either.

[Bozita]

3. It's just the semi-annual showing of power by the oil industry

Message to the people: The tree-hugging US govt did this to you. They made us do all of this fancy, expensive stuff to your gas.

[trogdor]

9. Even though they've done different blends by region for the past 50 years.

[seabeyond]

4. i heard this last week. my husband

went to oh some plant where they do gas, lol lol. in borger texas. and he said something about the gas prices and the guy told him that in bush 1 time they started putting something in. and it leaks into the ground or something. so now they are cleaning out tanks and are putting in ethanol. and that is why there is going to be shortages for a couple weeks

i am not good remembering all the names and this kinda stuff. but i did hear it. husband had talked to someone in the know.

[Bozita]

6. That bad stuff is MTBE (deadly carcinogen - a little goes a long way))

google it!

[Pirate Smile]

7. Here is an article that explains some of this issue:

"Gasoline soars amid reported shortages

But experts say any disruptions are bound to be small and short as the industry transitions from winter to summer gas.

-snip-
The oil industry said problems aren't related to an actual shortage but are being caused from a switch over from winter to summer gas, which is cleaner burning.

Terminals need to nearly empty their tanks to accept supplies of summer gas, which will arrive by May 1, said the American Petroleum Institute's Al Mannato.
Mannato said this switch and the accompanying spot shortages happen every year, "but crude prices are way up, gasoline is way up, so people are watching more this year."

He also said a switch from the gasoline additive MTBE, which has been found to contaminate ground water, to ethanol could be compounding the problem.
Problems with making the switch to ethanol were foreseen.

http://money.cnn.com/2006/04/21/news/economy/gas_shortage/index.htm

[napi21]

5. Are you really buyin this BS?

I'm NOT! I've been in the business world far too long to believe that a mature industry that SHOULD know what they're doing, wouldn't know how to prepare for a changeover!
Nah, I don't buy that story at all!

[rainbow4321]

8. No..I just used the article's heading

And the city they keep referring to in the article (Plano) is red, red, red...one of the top repuke cities/counties in the state...I hope these same repukes think of their leader as they try to find gas for their commute into Dallas this week.
BUT, this is the same county hit extremely hard by chimp's outsourcing during his 1st 4 year regime and the county still went 70% for him in 2004. Last time this repuke county was prosperous? The entire 8 years of Pres Clinton.

[phylny]

26. Actually, I have firsthand knowledge that this is true. n/t

[Neil Lisst]

11. this is the oil oligarchy creating an issue of adding ethanol

Are we to believe that the great multimillion dollar talent that run oil companies couldn't manage to plan for adding ethanol to the gasoline?!

This is a politically created issue by the oil companies, a way to further explain away price gouging.

[LSK]

15. ethanol has been around for years

This is all such BS.

[Neil Lisst]

16. what they do is use whatever they don't like as an excuse for gouging

It's always those pesky environmental rules!!

[TheFarseer]

12. So switch it already God damnit and let's get on with life

I heard this same lame excuse last year. Let's plan a little better folks.

[rainbow4321]

13. I'd like to know if there is a pattern to the "no gas"

This morning I thought I had better get gas, given the situation here in Plano (as well as other cities)...the Racetrack station that has gas for $2.85---plastc bags on the gas nozzles, specifically the regular gas, there were people getting higher grade stuff snce that is what was left. Within walking distance is a 7-11 that has gas for $2.95 and they had plenty of gas, no shut pumps.
Made me start to wonder if the ones that are "out" of gas are the stations that are running "cheaper" gas..meaning selling it for less, even if "less' is only by 5 or 10 cents. They are probably just the ones out of gas cuz that is where we are all flocking to first...but is someone in the oil business making it harder for these cheaper stations to get the gas while the more expensive ones are getting filled up quicker?
What better way to make people feel as if they HAVE to fill up their tanks if there is panic that soon they will not be able to get any gas.

:tinfoilhat: :tinfoilhat:

[TahitiNut]

18. They could sell gas they were out of for $1.59/gal. It makes no difference

... when they don't have any. Hell. I'll sell all the bars of gold I have for $2. Big deal. :dunce:

[gratuitous]

20. This same lame excuse gets trotted out every year

For some incomprehensible reason, the ebbing of winter and the advent of spring catches the oil companies by surprise every fucking year. And for some other reason, the major media parrot this lame excuse every fucking year, and none of the interviewers ever thinks to ask the oil company mouthpiece what it is about the passing of time that is so baffling to the oil companies.

[LSK]

14. they always switch to summer gas - this is such BS

How come gas wasnt at this price last year this time. Keep detracting from the real reasons that oil companies dont give a fuck and the government doesnt want to make them give a fuck.

[MsTryska]

17. I heard about this....

apparently MTBE is no longer allowed in gas, and corn ethanol is supposed to be used instead, unfortunately there's been soem supplychain issues with getting corn ethanol tot he places it needs to be, and therefore soem areas don't have gas at all.


Using Corn Ethanol is a step forward, but to me this is jsut one more reason to look at regionally manufactured ethanol, based on regional crops. (ie sugar cane and sugar beets in the south, corn in the midwest and the north etc)


if we spent more of our tax money developing ethanol plants regionally and less subsidizing big oil, maybe we wouldn't have these issues.

[Ikonoklast]

19. The additive MTBE made up almost 10%

of every gallon of gasoline sold, and is being replaced with ethanol as the oxidizing enhancer. That immediately created a shortage in volume, and we are importing ethanol from Brazil and other sources to try to make up the current shortfall of domestic production.

The next problem coming is the switch to ULSD (Ultra-low sulfur diesel). By the end of next year its' use is mandated. Shortages in the supply of diesel can cripple shipping, and freight rates will skyrocket.

I spent $45,456 for diesel last year, and this year will be worse. I have to re-figure freight rates based on the price of diesel, and have to do it on a daily basis in response to current market conditions. Not too sure how much longer I can keep ahead of the curve as shippers and brokers are resisting paying rates needed for me to be able to stay in business.

We have not even seen the the impact increased shipping costs are going to impact the economy yet. It is just starting. Food prices will skyrocket.

[rainbow4321]

21. There was one local report of a trucker getting hijacked

so the thieves could get his diesel. The trucker in the article was injured during the theft. One trucker was interviewed and said that most companies won't let them carry guns so they are easy targets. Said it takes $600 to fill up on gas now. The crooks in the above theft got away w/ $100 of the truck's diesel.
Got me to thinking that the next thing will be people going out to their cars only to see that all their gas has been siphoned. Think it's time for everyone to start putting their cars in their garages (or get locks for tanks).

[Ikonoklast]

24. I fill up with fuel every third day or so

I have 300 gallon tanks on my tractor, and it costs me close to $900 each time I fuel up now.

$900. Now multiply that by a million trucks.


How long before that cost is passed onto the consumer or end user of every commodity that is hauled? Every single load.

[originalpckelly]

22. Then why don't we change the formula of the Congress? (n/t)

[SoCalDem]

23. If the average businessman ran his business this way

they would be bankrupt in no time.. Yet if you are an OIL company it's Ok to "forget' that winter comes every year, as does summer..it's ok to close down refineries because you are too cheap to comply with environmental laws, and it's just peachy to overcharge your customers..

and for your CEOs who don't seem to even know how to keep an adequate supply of the most important product...Pay them millions and laud them as magnificent businessmen:puke:

[cantstandbush]

25. Bullshit. Done on purpose to get folks angry with environmentalists.

If only there could be an energy God to give us a formula for a new fuel that current autos could run on.