Some gasoline stations run dry in Houston, Dallas

[UpInArms]

http://today.reuters.com/misc/PrinterFriendlyPopup.aspx?type=bondsNews&storyID=uri:2006-04-28T154256Z_01_N28261364_RTRIDST_0_ENERGY-TEXAS-GASOLINE-UPDATE-2.XML

NEW YORK, April 28 (Reuters) - Dozens of service stations around Houston and Dallas, the heart of the U.S. oil industry, are out of gasoline after transportation problems resurfaced with the switch to a new anti-smog fuel blend using ethanol, suppliers said Friday.

The shortages add to scattered supply outages on the East Coast that began last week due to the transition, prompting Maryland and Pennsylvania to request waivers from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that would allow them to sell a cheaper, lower grade of gasoline.

<snip>

"No one planned on how to get the ethanol into the city and be distributed," said Jim Hay, of Dallas-based Contract Fuels, which distributes gasoline to retail stations.

<snip>

Mays said about 60 out of 400 gas stations had problems in the greater Houston area, but Motiva expects to complete the conversion from storage of MTBE-based gasoline to ethanol-based gasoline this weekend.

<snip>

This is the second time in April that Dallas has experienced shortages of gasoline. Last week, dozens of gasoline stations on the East Coast ran out of gasoline and two states, Maryland and Pennsylvania, requested fuel waivers from the EPA.

...more...

[One Honest Guy]

1. Houston and Dallas ? How very predictable.

These two places probably have the largest concentration of SUVs and pickup trucks, larger concentration than rest of cities on the planet put together. These are the places overwhelmingly populated by type of people that still believe WMD were found in Iraq. Effing idiots.

[0007]

2. You just ain't a wolfing dixie there. And most all are brand new.

[World Traveller]

10. We drive too! Lots of complaints in Houston re: high price of gas

Houston has a Democratic mayor, Bill White (the compassionate guy who took in the Katrina victims). More liberal Democrats here than you might suspect.

Oil and oil service companies are the major employers here and I still hear lots of complaints. Salaries are stagnant at the oil companies (as in the rest of America, earnings diverted to shareholders and high level execs), lots of offshoring in the oil companies right now, AND since Houston's a newer, sprawling city that grew up after WW II, you have to drive everywhere. Public transportation is minimal.

We're taking the same hit as everyone else.

[AndyTiedye]

11. They Were Also the Ones Running Out of Gas During the Hurricane Evacuation

I would think that would be reason enough to desire a vehicle that goes a bit further on a tank of gas.

What could be worse than $3.00 gas?

How about watching your truck sucking fumes while a hurricane is bearing down on you
and all the gas stations are empty too?

[struggle4progress]

22. Used to see "Drive 70: Freeze a Yankee" bumpers stickers in Big D

If they run short on gas down there, they'll be screwed, cuz the public transit system sucks: the whole metro area is laid out for auto travel ...

[Toots]

25. They have had a year to get it together but they chose not to

This law about Ethanol did not just show up on the books yesterday....

[Benhurst]

3. ...

:rofl:

[aquart]

4. They knew the ethanol was coming, though. Right?

[Sequoia]

5. They knew Jesus was coming but lived in sin anyway.

No Rapture for you Dallas and Houston. Proud of Bush now are ya!

(Not you DUers of course, I'm sorry you have to deal with it. Put on a bumper stiker: Told ya so!)

[goforit]

20. ROFLMAO!!!!.....I use to live there, and so true it is!!!

[phylny]

23. There are two factors regarding ethanol that are causing problems.

First, the production has not kept up with the demand for it.

Second, ethanol cannot be transported via pipeline like petroleum products can, so it must be trucked in. You can imagine that it's a much slower process than pipeline delivery would be.

[rfkrfk]

24. oxygenate, MTBE-ethanol, won't be needed after May 6th

for Houston/Dallas gas.

of course, RFG with ethanol is still usable,
and I don't know when-if, the gas refiners will
deliver RFG that is not intended to be mixed
with an oxygenate.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

6. Just little details...

Designed to tighten the screws on both gas prices and ethanol regulation. A twofer, if you will.

[Roland99]

7. Hit the NE and Mid-Atlantic earlier in the week. Who's next?

[Lady Effingbroke]

8. I live in Houston and have been riding a bicycle everywhere

humanly possible for the past several years, which can be difficult in a city built on the premise of eternally cheap oil and which has no decent public transportation to speak of.

As yet I remain a lonely pedaller, however, I foresee others joining me in the not-too-distant future.

And yes, pretty much every other vehicle on the road is a Tahoe or an Expedition, at least where I live (southeast Houston). There are a fair number of H2/H3s as well.

Lots of long faces at the pump these days.

[Demobrat]

9. How many of them are still sporting

their "Kick their ass and take their gas" bumper stickers?

[Lady Effingbroke]

16. Still a few "Wastikas" here and there, although not as many as a year ago.

[coda]

19. When people are delayed, I hope they remember the DeLay

that's been responsible for blocking mass transit for years.

I remebered seeing this last year, but couldn't remember if it was Houston.

It was.





Sitting in Traffic? Thank Tom DeLay

May 15, 2005

The first of the issue focused media opportunities of the District 22 Political Forum has hit the streets. The 'Sitting in Traffic' campaign has been rolled out in the form of bumper stickers that can be obtained through the Texas22.org Site. Go to the site, click on donate and for a three dollar donation the forum will mail you a bumper sticker. They have been available at various public events including the Galveston County Jumbo Gumbo cook-off and the Family fun day at Bass park last weekend. Envision the multitudes who sit in traffic having to stare at a bumper sticker in front of them that reminds them that the reason we have constant construction, no master transit plan and one of the worst mass transit programs is that Tom DeLay steadfastly refuses to allow the development of mass transit.


Many of you will remember that Tom DeLay personally stood in the way of transit funding. He adamantly blocked all efforts until our public officials placed the matter up for a bond issue, got public approval and then had to pay 100% of the cost of the initial scaled down transit system we now have. The problems we have with the gallant effort to get mass transit are due to Tom DeLay's efforts to prevent it from happening. When Houston's Metro tried to get additional federal funds, after paying the first 100%, Tom DeLay and John Culberson blocked the legislation that would have funded the next phase last fall.


http://delaywatchfromthedistrict.blogspot.com/

[jayfish]

12. I Thought I Heard Karl Levin Say...

(or was it Chuck Schumer)yesterday that oil and refined gas stocks are at 7-year highs. :wtf:

Jay

[CAcyclist]

13. This sure reminds me of what Enron did to California nt

[madame defarge]

14. Sniff...sniff...I smell a conspiracy...

So, Congress enforced this new ethanol blend, right? Oil companies are pissed off about it, right? Clueless George is an oil man (among other things I won't go into here...), right? Clueless George hangs with the oil men, right?

Now all of a sudden, isn't Clueless Georgie saying that we need to forget about the ethanol blended gas? (Or at least he's calling for a temporary halt/need for it...)

So...I suspect that the oil companies are holding back on distribution on purpose (with George's approval & knowledge -- after all, he is the "decider"...) so that the 'murkin public is fed up enough with high gas prices & lack of availability and will agree to anything...

Have I been on the bong too long...or not enough?

[DisgustedTX]

15. Had to be done for appearances

Typical Junta - punish the blue; watch citizens notice the obvious; inconvenience a small red slice of the pie.

[hadrons]

17. I have to email this to my friend in Houston .....

she hates Bush, but is stuck in Kool-aid land, so I want to hear the ground reaction to this

[DainBramaged]

18. Mohammed Ali Dhanani is the Houston Chronicle's "go to guy"

It also seems that Mohammed Ali Dhanani is the Houston Chronicle's "go to guy" for stories about good old petrol.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/special/05/katrina/3335895.html Sept. 2, 2005, 1:26AM
GAS PRICES

"Retailers, however, said they're simply passing on gas wholesalers' price increases.

"Due to Hurricane Katrina and resulting supply problems, Randall's is experiencing dramatic increases in our wholesale fuel costs," a sign in a store's station in Sugar Land read. Mohammed Ali Dhanani, who owns several gas stations in the Houston area, said he's selling gas for $2.89 to $2.99 a gallon, depending on the station's location.

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?sid=ddb2cb1402657e31

We are incorporated in Manama, Bahrain (Big News Networks).

[dapper]

21. What can I add?!

Other than this oil crisis crap is just that, crap.
These shortages are crap!

How long have they had to prepare for this? I say the govt should just fine the oil companies for the gas shortages. It's not like there is a shortage of oil, it's the oil companies making sure they make money on the supply/demand side by not having the supply available.

No more oil-men in political positions!

Dap

[0007]

26. bttft