Not sure if this is being covered by the TV news stations as I don't really watch the news much. Here in the Southeast, we are dealing with a gasoline shortage due to a burst 3-foot-wide pipeline. I believe it burst in AL, but it supplies gasoline that is refined in Houston to distribution centers here in the Southeast. Taken from Gas prices jump in the Southeast after pipeline rupture in Alabama The leak was discovered Friday when a mining inspector detected a strong odor of gasoline at a mining property in a remote area of Shelby County, about 30 miles south of Birmingham. It came from Colonial Pipeline's Line 1, a 3-foot-wide pipe that typically transports 1.3 million barrels of gasoline a day from Houston refineries to distribution centers across the Southeast and all the way up to Linden, N.J. Built in 1964, the pipeline provides the East Coast with up to 40% of its gasoline supply. The Alpharetta, Ga.-based company immediately shut down the pipeline. Last week, crews began removing gasoline and water from the retention pond to temporary storage tanks. Underflow dams were constructed and a boom was installed to ensure that no fuel traveled into a dry creek bed that runs from the pond to Peel Creek, which flows into the Cahaba River. More than 700 people are now working at the site, attempting to excavate and repair the damaged section of pipe as well as construct a temporary line to bypass the leaked section. Over the weekend, drivers in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and the Carolinas faced longer lines at the gas pumps and, in some cases, dry pumps. In Georgia, the average price of a gallon of regular gas jumped from $2.09 on Tuesday to $2.31 on Sunday, according to GasBuddy.com, a consumer-driven website that helps drivers find cheap gas. Over the weekend, GasBuddy customers reported a Super Express gas station in Evans, Ga., charging $3.49 and an Exxon station in McLean, Va., charging $3.19. Colonial is still transporting gasoline from Houston to western Alabama. In an effort to minimize gas shortages farther north, the company is moving gasoline through a second pipeline that runs alongside the burst line and usually carries diesel and jet fuel. Last week, the governors of Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia issued executive orders that temporarily suspended various state and federal regulations to allow truck drivers to work longer shifts to deliver gasoline. “The uninterrupted supply” of gas is an “essential need for the public and any perceived shortage threatens the public welfare,” Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal said in his order. As consumers in many parts of the Southeast rushed to fill up their tanks, some gas stations ran out of fuel. Emergency management officials in some states urged consumers not to panic. If this pipeline was built in 1964, it makes one wonder what other infrastructure built more than 50 years ago is at risk and how well these are maintained. Being that the oil and gas companies have been around for a long time, I'm sure that there are all sorts of "inspection" regulations but I am not aware of those regulations myself. As for me, we have 2 vehicles, one is hybrid and gets 48 miles to the gallon. Both have full tanks today (one was already full before this shortage). I also note that I had no idea before today that 40 percent or more of the gas transported to this area would be transported by a single pipeline.
Three gas stations and 200 dollars later, I still don't have enough gas to move as planned... the cashier told me they were not getting a shipment for two weeks. I was in Louisiana about 8 years ago during a hurricane, and I saw people shooting each other because none of the gas stations had gas. What scares me is the "news" is just now reporting, they only don't insight fear when they don't need to...
I talked with a guy I know this morning who had spent the weekend in Savannah. Gas was no problem there as it is brought in by ships. He drove back to Atlanta last night and stopped to get gas several times without any luck. He said he saw more than the usual cars abandoned on the roadside, maybe because they were out of fuel? He was still looking for gas this morning in Atlanta, and about down to fumes. Talked to another guy who lives in Smyrna, GA., yesterday morning who had been out to get gas, down to fumes, and couldn't locate any, came back home to get his lawnmower gas and was headed back out when I talked to him. Gas is available, but intermittent, kind of like a crap shoot. Most of us have been through this before, and I learned to start looking for gas to buy when I hit 1/2 a tank, as it might about be empty by the time you locate any. Time to consider getting a CB radio for my vehicle, they are pretty handy when trying to locate a supply of fuel when your out and about. They have several hundred guys working on constructing a bypass around the leak and hopefully they can have this resolved soon, but it just goes to show how fragile the infrastructure that supports our current level of lifestyle actually is and why we all need to be prepared for disruptions in the energy spectrum.
LMAO. Some of these people are burning up more gas looking for gas than they normally use. Seems to me a better idea to use the phone. Back in the '73 crisis, that was the norm, gas consumption went thru the roof as panic shook the last drops out of the nozzles at the stations that happened to get deliveries. I had formed a "working" cash relationship with a local guy that always had some for his loyal customers. My father did the same thing, and was able to get me a fillup when I was at his place.
Tac linked this in the shoutbox but I am placing here also. That spill is horrible- Alabama pipeline leak: What we know so far about the spill, gas shortages and more Good luck Southern Monkeys because I think it will be a while before things get resolved.
Funny... Don't hear about any environmentalist going out and protesting the repair project on the pipeline.. Why are they not out there trying to put an end to the continued use of a worn out pipe line? Why no mention of the dangers to the environment? Perhaps it has something to do with riding bicycles in the southern heat to reach the site of the repairs.. It is hard to be so environmentally conscious..
So the news reports some stations out of fuel and now everyone must go get some making the problem worse.
I have about 30 gallons of gas in 5 gallon gas cans. Additionally I try to fill up both my vehicles at 1/2 tank point. In todays environment it just makes sense. I also try to use one 5 gallon can of storage gas every 2 weeks. And yes I rotate those 6 cans of gas. Last night here all was normal with no stations with signs or bags on their pumps, and prices were still unchanged. We are paying $2.04 to $2.09 for regular in Gainesville Florida area
Prices jumped $0.20 over night and stations here are finally starting to run out of gas. There were a couple last night on the way home that were out of premium but otherwise okay. Today I passed 4 stations with bags on the pump handles and no price posted for gasoline. They still had diesel. On the way home from work I passed a station that had gas and topped off. It was not crazy with only 4 cars and 16 pumps. They were also only 6 cents higher than yesterday. According to the news, the repair/bypass is either done or will be very shortly and they plan on opening the pipeline back up as early as tomorrow. According to the news, it flows at between 3 and 5 miles an hour so it'll take some time to get here but they said a couple of days to get to where I am in NC. I'll be fine until then. Plus there's about 11 gallons in the garage if push comes to shove...and a gallon of that is ethanol free for the power washer.
