Refined product shortages

[wxfree]

Here in the DFW area people are freaking out.  There are long gas station lines, stations are running dry, and prices are high.  One station I heard about has only 93 octane and is charging $4 per gallon for it.  The price display was turned off so you wouldn't know how much it costs until you start pumping.  People are filling their vehicle tanks and gas cans.  Local news stations reported that a shortage was likely, so everyone went out and made a shortage happen.

How are things in your area?

[Brandon]

Just fine, no shortages what-so-ever.  Some stations raised their prices into the $2.50s per gallon for 87 octane, while some are still in the 2-teens.

[JJBers]

83 is in the 2.30s....so I think it's just a local problem.

[wxfree]

I wonder why it's affecting us first.  Maybe it's because we're closer to the refineries, so we're first in line for whatever happens.  San Antonio news reports indicate shortages, but they aren't reported in Austin's paper.

Analysts say that stations that run out should be resupplied in a few days.  Since most people don't need to buy that frequently, it seems like if we didn't have panic buying there may not be a shortage at all.

[Brandon]

You guys might have shortages down there, but we've got our own refineries up here (3 around Chicago) that get crude oil from different places (Alberta crude oil is common here).  I sincerely doubt we'll ever see those kinds of shortages.

[Max Rockatansky]

No issues in California other than the typical high prices, we have our own refineries as well.

[jemacedo9]

Philly area prices jumped at least 20 cents in the past couple of days...but no shortages that I've heard.

[wxfree]

I read a claim, made by a random person online, that something called the Ohio River Network is well supplied and is sending fuel this way.  I really think the actual severity is a lot less than the immediate problem.  It's similar to when stores run out of food before a two-day ice storm (that happens here).

[jeffandnicole]

If there's any issues in Texas, they may be isolated issues.  Gasbuddy is showing the Houston area overall still having some of the cheapest prices in the nation.

I did see some stations near me in NJ jump about 10 cents a gallon.

If a station has their signs turned off, now everyone that pulls their cell phones out ready to record every cop waiting for it to be the next viral sensation should be pulling them out to show that.

[wxfree]

The Texas railroad commissioner, who has nothing to do with railroads but is in charge or regulating the oil business, says that about 3 million barrels per day of production capacity is down, and that due to normal operations there are currently about 230 million barrels of gasoline in storage around the country.  While there are delays in deliveries due to having fewer places to fill delivery trucks, there is no shortage except that caused by excessive buying.  Gasoline futures are up 26 cents just today, and have been rising for days.  Prices are likely to jump, but it sounds like the shortage shouldn't spread and should be alleviated here once we get deliveries and everyone already has full tanks.

[kkt]

Ya'll are spoiled.  You know that, right?  My neighborhood: $3.13 for regular.  But at least no shortages.

[hbelkins]

You guys might have shortages down there, but we've got our own refineries up here (3 around Chicago) that get crude oil from different places (Alberta crude oil is common here).  I sincerely doubt we'll ever see those kinds of shortages.

No, but you'll see the price increases. The oil companies will jump at any excuse to stick it to their customers. And you can bet the gas stations will collude on prices.

[cjk374]

You guys might have shortages down there, but we've got our own refineries up here (3 around Chicago) that get crude oil from different places (Alberta crude oil is common here).  I sincerely doubt we'll ever see those kinds of shortages.

No, but you'll see the price increases. The oil companies will jump at any excuse to stick it to their customers. And you can bet the gas stations will collude on prices.

This too. Prices are quick to rise and slow to drop.

Wednesday gas was $1.999 at a Circle K in Ruston. The price jumped 25 cents today. Should go up another 10 cents tomorrow.

Btw...what happened to the cents symbol that keyboards used to have?? I sure would like to see one again.

Y'all are spoiled.  You know that, right?  My neighborhood: $3.13 for regular.  But at least no shortages.

Spoiled? Nah not really. Just livin in the right place (can't be helped).

83 is in the 2.30s....so I think it's just a local problem.

83? That is your octane level? Y'all are getting robbed at the pump moreso than anyone!

[hotdogPi]

They've gone up bigly here. One Haffner's that is normally medium-cheap and slow to change in both directions suddenly shot up from 2.29 to 2.49.

Btw...what happened to the cents symbol that keyboards used to have?? I sure would like to see one again.

Option-4, if you're on a Mac.

[02 Park Ave]

  Some stations in South Jersey have raised their prices 22 cents since Monday morning.🕖

It's like another Christie Tax hike.

[JJBers]

And say goodbye to that 2.30 price, I didn't realize, but just in the last day, prices have gone up 10-20 cents.

[briantroutman]

Btw...what happened to the cents symbol that keyboards used to have?? I sure would like to see one again.

The only keyboards I ever recall seeing with ¢ keys were on typewriters–frequently above the 6 on electrics or paired with another symbol in the space of the nonexistent return key on manual models.

[WillWeaverRVA]

We've had prices in the Richmond, VA area jump 30 cents since Tuesday morning. I pass by a Wawa on my way to work and it was $2.09. On my way home from work it was $2.25. Now it's $2.35.

[noelbotevera]

Still normal up here in the Susquehanna Valley. Gas prices range from $2.30 to $2.50 here, and nothing's really changed ever since Harvey began.

[Duke87]

AFAIK Dallas is only having problems because people panicked and rushed to the pumps to fill up whether they currently needed to or not. If everyone waited until they needed gas to buy it, there wouldn't have been an issue.

This is a common theme in these sorts of post-disaster situations. It's part of why we had the emergency even/odd restriction in the NYC area in the weeks after Sandy. People with 1/2 and 3/4 full tanks were lining up to top them off, raiding the stock of gas stations unnecessarily.


Haven't heard of any shortage issues up here now, though we are seeing prices go up. A week ago the going rate was $2.35-$2.45. Now it's $2.55-$2.65.

[ColossalBlocks]

No shortages over here. Price is absolutely normal.

[wxfree]

AFAIK Dallas is only having problems because people panicked and rushed to the pumps to fill up whether they currently needed to or not. If everyone waited until they needed gas to buy it, there wouldn't have been an issue.

This is a common theme in these sorts of post-disaster situations. It's part of why we had the emergency even/odd restriction in the NYC area in the weeks after Sandy. People with 1/2 and 3/4 full tanks were lining up to top them off, raiding the stock of gas stations unnecessarily.


Haven't heard of any shortage issues up here now, though we are seeing prices go up. A week ago the going rate was $2.35-$2.45. Now it's $2.55-$2.65.

There were going to be potential problems already, because of some of the distribution system being down.  With fewer places to fill the trucks, there would be delayed deliveries.  A few places might have run low, but it wouldn't have been a big deal.  The news reports made people go out and start buying in excess, including filling cans, which made it much worse than it needed to be.  In my area, there seems to be no gasoline at all.

[Brandon]

I love reading the folks who call a 30-40 cent jump abnormal.  That's par for the course here.  Some asshole working for Speedway in Ohio seems to think prices are too low, and the next day, we see a jump of 30-50 cents. Then it falls back again.  It's a gas price roller coaster ride.

[wxfree]

Shockingly enough, gasoline is being delivered.  Most stations around here are still empty, but since everyone filled every fuel tank, gas can, and milk jug they had yesterday, there's nothing left to fill and there's no run on supplies.

[SidS1045]

They've gone up bigly here. One Haffner's that is normally medium-cheap and slow to change in both directions suddenly shot up from 2.29 to 2.49.

Btw...what happened to the cents symbol that keyboards used to have?? I sure would like to see one again.

Option-4, if you're on a Mac.

Alt+0162 in Windows.