Archives

"A lot of it is simply incredible...and a lot of the price increases make no sense economically in terms of supply and demand." - Connecticut Atty General. (http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iegCzko2qT3cUfD__XPxPGVOVMwgD93658DG0)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/ike2.gifJohn Porretto & Mark Williams - AP - Sept 13, 2008

09/13/2008 at 3pm at I35E/FM3040 in Lewisville, TX - 300 miles from the Gulf coast. A wreck in on the other side of the freeway.

Texas has 25% of US refineries -- Ed.

Houston — From Florida to Tennessee, and all the way up to Connecticut, people far from Hurricane Ike's destruction nonetheless felt one of its tell-tale aftershocks: gasoline prices that surged overnight — to nearly $5 a gallon in some places.

Fears of supply shortages, and actual fuel-production disruptions, resulting from Ike's lashing of vital energy infrastructure led to pump price disparities of as much as $1 a gallon in some states, and even on some blocks.

Late Saturday the U.S. Minerals Management Service said there were two confirmed reports of drilling rigs adrift in the central Gulf of Mexico.
… http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iegCzko2qT3cUfD__XPxPGVOVMwgD93658DG0

I can't say I was surprised by the price rise. We've always known that if Houston sustained a direct hit from a hurricane that there would be gasoline shortages. The price rise however seems a bit out of proportion to the amount of refined products that were cutoff by Ike.

Only time and investigation by the states' Attorneys' General will determine the facts of the situation.

I head back to Houston on Sunday. Fortunately we have electricity and water. We filled our tanks on Thursday anticipating gasoline shortages.

Just saw a CNN QuickPoll: only 52% will change their driving habit as a result of Hurricane Ike

With the recently lower gas prices, This needs to be a reminder to everyone that we are just one major mishap away from sky hi fuel prices.

Gasoline stocks were in free fall after Gustav, even before Ike. Earlier this year they were the highest since '94, last week they were the lowest since 2000.

http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/hist/wgtstus1w.htm

No price increases yet in Seattle, but many Shell stations are not selling fuel. The storm took out a vital central server, shutting down the pumps at retail outlets. Tanks full, but can't sell it.

Some very high level IT positions should be vacant tomorrow. Make sure your headhunter has an updated resume. :-)

Gas went from $3.52 to $3.79 to $3.99 to $4.15 in the space of a week.

Gas went from $3.41 to $3.99 here. I filled the PT up the day before yesterday when gas was $3.41/gal.

Someone please, I'll give you my wrx if you give me $11,000 to build an EV.

89 octane is selling between $3.73 and $3.79 around me. It has been stable for the last week or so. If it has moved it is a nickel or less per gallon. I just filled up yesterday just in case.

Times like this are when I'm glad I aero modded my car following the Katrina gas shortage. With about 800 mile range on the tank, hopefully I won't have to gas up again until the spot shortages disappear and the prices return to normal. And if they don't, I can always transfer some of the 28 gallons from my F150 or the 60 gallons from my RV into my tank.

Around here in upstate SC, gas has gone from $3.40 to $3.99, with a occasional station in the mid $4's and some that have no prices listed. Also have seen more than a few stations with white bagged dispense nozzles, especially on regular and mid-grade, but the big gas stations along I-85 haven't run out (I guess they get priority on the refills from the Colonial Pipeline).

I don't know why I filled up my three gallon container when I have 7-8 gallons in my tank that will last me around 700 miles.

COLA gas prices are holding in the low to mid $4's. After 210 miles my gauge is still pegged at full so I should be able to get through at least this week without needing a fill.

I agree that this should be yet another wake up call that something needs to change. The prices are little more than irritating to me but it is a symptom of serious vulnerability.

Why is it that the refineries can't produce gasoline when the power goes out? If only they had a large supply of fuel with which they could produce power. Must be that American ingenuity we're always hearing about.

Why is it that the refineries can't produce gasoline when the power goes out? If only they had a large supply of fuel with which they could produce power. Must be that American ingenuity we're always hearing about.

Credit lack of foresight as critical infrastructure, and beancounters.

I have contacts at two regional refineries. One has substantial electric generation capacity, but it cannot operate when the external grid is down. The person who made that decision is no longer there. The other has plans and permits for a electric cogen plant capable of stand-alone operation, but budgets and economics put it on the shelf.

Taking my son back to college in Peoria I noticed that there was a wide spread in gas prices there. $3.99(cash only) at Shell and $4.27 at Road Ranger near consecutive interstate exits.

I totally misread that as "Road Rager"..
.
_H*

I totally misread that as "Road Rager"..
.
_H*

LOL that's probably about right after you see the price increases.

Things are one step worse here this morning. There are maybe a dozen gas stations on my commute and only one of them looked open. The place was mobbed with idiots filling up their cars plus big red cans. I betcha they will be out by the time I head home. Every other station had taken down the prices and bagged the nozzles.

This would be a good week to telecommute if only they would let me.

I just heard a news report about one station in Indianapolis that was selling for $4.99/gal. I looked up gas prices on indygasprices.com this morning and they all seem to be staying about the $4-$4.15 mark. Sounds like someone was trying to price gouge. I couldn't find the station listed on the map though.

Crazy. Our stations are still mostly operational. And we actually had the storm here.

$3.79 is the going price around here.

Got and idea: document these gas stations on a site so people with short memories will know to avoid them during the good times. That way, they think twice before price gouging.

Prices shot up here from 3.35 to 3.69 and one station close to me is 3.73 overnight. Hopefully I won't have to put gas in the m3 for another week or so though.

I pass 3 stations on my commute from Wake Forest to Cary, NC. Friday, 4:30 on the way home, $3.59 at my station and maybe 30 or better cars packed in at the pumps and backed up on the road. Station across the street $3.79 and pretty empty, only a couple cars. Last station on the way was $4.99 and one car pumping. These were all in the $3.60 range on Friday morning

This morning all stations were at $3.99. I usually fill up on Fridays but skipped it and can hold out until Wednesday, maybe Thursday. This makes the 45 MPG tank average I have achieved look all that much better now! Can’t quite hold out and do a tank every 2 weeks… YET!

Heck, from my house to work I saw from $3.93 to $4.59. I also saw on on the news Winchester, TN had $5.29. All the stations have also put 10 gal limits in place and Fri night, I saw cars stacked 3 deep on all the pumps I passed.

We are not immune up here either. Gasoline went from an equivalent of $4.99/gal to $5.45/gal in a day. Diesel somehow hasn't changed and is still at $4.33/gal.