Where'd it go?!
 

Murfreesboro Tennessee is out of gas. Don't see why we can't bring any in. Only a few oil rigs went down because of the hurricane (I'm sorry for anyone that lives in Texas). Not like Texas is the only state that produces oil. Can anyone explain it?

But the Houston area has the largest single concentration of oil refineries in the US.

So, when Ike came along, the oil speculators went nutso. Fucked it up for the rest of us.

It's not the rigs that is the problem..

it's the refineries.. where they turn the oil to gas.. which a LARGE part of them are in Texas.

http://www.eia.doe.gov/neic/rankings/refineries.htm

Lord Snow,

Good Question - and a real problem!

It's all so damn ridiculous though. I was speaking with Shadozfire last night and she was saying that one of the stations in the area she evacuated to had a tanker come in yesterday and the gas price had gone up about $1.30 from the time the tanker got to the station to the time all of the fuel had been sold a few hours later. I guess the fuel that didn't sell right away must've been worth more because it had aged a couple of hours. :confused:

It happens both ways though.. the price can go down regardless of when a truck comes in. They adjust the selling price based on the price they expect to have to pay to replace it (sorta.. complex formula :D).

The prices going up with the pump had a lot of do with the media and people having a the skys falling attitude.. if everyone across the country didn't rush to go get gas immediately prior to Ike would the price have gone up as much? I think it was more of a perceived shortage than anything based on fact. With the refineries tempoarily shut down yeah some areas may have ended up with shortages.. but not everywhere.

Costie,

You are probably correct. Had there been a real gasoline shortage, it would have made national news. Unless, of course, the syndicated news networks were part of the presumed conspiracy, etc. Until people think before jumping to conclusions, unfortunate situations like this will be repeated.

Even if Texas has the largest concentration of oil refineries, that still doesn't answer the question of why can't get some from other states have a few? We're supposed to be a country. United we stand, divided we fall. I'm sure there are a few search and rescue teams and supplies down in Texas that came from Tennessee as well as other states. Why can't other states give us a hand and send some fuel? Then again, that decision is left up to the politicians. Besides, most of the fuel we buy from gas stations doesn't even come from our refineries. It comes from over seas. Where we happen to be at war.

The other thing is that they knew for some time this storm was coming. I am sure they rushed to send as much product out as possible from those refineries in the days prior to the storm. I think this is all BS.

Oil/Fuel is a commodity, as far as the transfer and shipping the government has about zero to do with it. If the company your gas station normally gets gas from gets its gas from a company that gets theirs from a texas refinery they may not be able to on short notice get fuel from somewhere else, plus there is just limited infrastructure and delivery vehicles. As far as this aspect, it's not really a political thing at all, it's a corporate/capitalist thing.

Furthermore..

In 2005, United States refineries produced over 90 percent of the gasoline used in the United States. Less than 40 percent of the crude oil used by U.S. refineries was produced in the United States. About 45 percent of gasoline produced in the United States comes from refineries in the U.S. Gulf Coast (including Texas and Louisiana).

Source: http://www.eia.doe.gov/neic/experts/contactexperts.htm

It's a common misconception, we import alot of oil but almost all of the gasoline is refined here. And then half of the capability is in the Texas/Louisiana area so gasoline prices are very much effected by hurricanes that hit that area (supply and demand economy). To complicate things even more our refineries are OLD, and there is little to no spare capacity in the refineries. :D

The oil companies would have several weeks supplies stashed to cover breakdowns, storms etc. It sounds like a distribution problem to me.

For those who are willing to accept the US DOE’s numbers, in June of this year, there were approximately 107 million barrels of gasoline stock. Also in June daily consumption was approximately 9 million barrels. This works out to less than 1 day’s consumption stockpiled.

With a margin as thin as that, a little bit of panic buying goes a long way.

The Galviston/Houston area produces just 20% of US gas. It was the station owners and consumers who paniced over the news of a shortage.

jseal,

107 KK barrels in store

9KK barrels per day consumption.

Almost 12 days of stockpile by my maths.

107 mb June gasoline stock

(9 mb/day * 30 days in June) = 270 mb June consumption

107 / 270 < 1

You said a day's consumption and are doing the math for a month. Are you a Republican? I smell "fuzzy math."

Some days feel like a month. LOL

Amen brother Oldfart. Yesterday being one of those days.

You also?


Or are some numbers more equal than others?

Republican? Fuzzy Math?

Bah!

As a card carrying, lifetime member of the Democratic Party I can lay claim to much better that fuzzy math! I need only point out the Clinton Administration’s efforts to use statistics to “adjust” the numbers of the 2000 Census for apportionment purposes.

We prefer to make the numbers up.

It required a 1999 Supreme Court decision to put that one to bed.

Of course, so would the Republicans, or any other party, if they thought it would advance their cause – and that they could get away with it. No, slinging empty labels about will not, I believe, solve the problems of the world, or fill empty gas pumps.

Still, it takes all kinds to make the world go round.

I live next door to an oil delivery company named "Just Oil".My nei ghbor runs
the business.He told me that the price is based on his replacement price!
They have a billboard,in front,with the daily price.You wouldn't believe how
much it fluctuates,day to day!Every day they refill thier trucks at the Portsmouth NH oil terminal.The price is detirmned(sp?) there.When I ran my motorcycle repair shops,the parts prices were detirmined by my suppliers
price.They were fairly stable. Irish :2cents:

I do believe that it's a corporate issue that we have no gas and haven't had any sense Friday night. Well, yesterday we finally got one small load of premium but that won't last long unless more trucks are on their way. I work for a very large convenience/gas station that brags to having the lowest prices. This means we buy our gas as cheap as we can get it. The fact that corporate knew this was going to happen to the stores in my area tells us that someone dropped the ball in long term planning for the supply of gasoline. I sure won't be surprised to hear that a few heads were left to roll once the dust of this mess settles.

Surely no one is suggesting that the oil companies are engaging in some good old-fashioned price gouging? Perish the thought... :bs:

No Lilith that is what is call Jseal Logic. I think you know how that works anything Jseal says is always right no matter what the facts and numbers say.

If you dig deeper at your first link you can find a week stock which show the weekly stock you see 06/06 has 105,560, 06/13 has 106,241, 06/20 has 106,292 and 06/27 has 106,707. So using you logic below there would be 424,800.

jseal, I cop this at home when I make deliberate misspeakings to rev up the rest.

Evidence? :rofl:

Deliberate? Intentional?

Are you suggesting this? About what, if I may ask?

i am reminded of the answer my brother in law always gave when someone asked where is....

























if it was up your ass you'd know it.
:D

Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. :shrug:

You made the suggestion. Now substantiate it. :rofl:

Please don't tell me you don't see the built in disclaimer in my statement. In any case, I don't enjoy the debate process as much as you do. As my daddy told me, "Figures don't lie, but liars figure."

My daddy was a pretty smart man...

Ah, I see. You expect people to believe what you suggest because you suggested it. I guess that becomes a question of faith.

Good luck.

I won't jump to far into the fray here....I have what I am learning is a strange opinion on fuel shortages and prices.

We all cry and blame "THE BIG BAD OIL COMPANIES" (you can insert refineries, suppliers, distributors, whatever you want in there) for our current gas prices, shortages or even lack of gas what so ever.

I think that the one thing we all forget is that they are businesses. They exist to MAKE A PROFIT. Having fuel is not a 'god-given necessity'. Most of us take it for granted that we will have gas at the corner store whenever we need it and expect to pay only a certain amount for it. (BTW we have traditionally paid less in this country than just about anywhere else) We don't think about the fact that the gas company is there to MAKE MONEY.

The 'American Dream' was to come to this country...start from nothing and build your empire. The problem is that those that do exactly that are then criticized and even blamed for the hardship it may cause to others.

Yes I think poor planning and management affect gas shortages (they don't make money if they don't provide the product) but I think the fact that they can charge 5$ a gallon and that we PAY $5 a gallon just illustrates that we are willing to pay for it. They will continue to raise the prices and push the market to make the largest profit they can. Is this moral? Is this right? Who knows... that is for every person to decide for themselves. If you don't like paying 5$ a gallon...don't buy it. Invent an alternative...ride your bike...walk...whatever it takes to avoid spending your money and giving them a profit.

We have gotten so dependent on our cars and gasoline that we EXPECT and DEMAND certain things...they are there to make money....we have the choice to give it to them or not.

(And yes I realize that is a VERY simple view point on the whole issue and that the entire situation is very complex...but over all the basics still stand. They are a business and are out to make money....if you don't want to pay that price for something buy an alternative. We do the same thing with other products we buy).

OK.... Im ready....throw it all at me :argue:

(I will add that I just traded in my SUV ::SOBS LOUDLY:: for a Dodge Neon to pay only $40 every two weeks compared to my $65 every week in an effort to lower my gas spending and put maybe a penny less or so in the pockets of the gas companies - not a huge change but every little bit helps).

Airy,

Bold views! Bravely said! I wish you well, but envy you not.

I have braced myself...I know it's coming. It happens every time I open my mouth on this topic.


BRING IT ON! :doorpeek:

I don't have any problem with gas companies. I have a problem with all the government $$, tax breaks etc. that have been afforded them.

This may suprise you but having run two of my own businesses,I totally agree!
By the way,my wife & two daughters don't!I have worked until 2/3 in the morning,to make a profit & to keep my customers happy.Good business sense is like good sex.A satisfied customer is a repeat customer Irish :irish: (my $.02)

It surprised me until I read "having run two of my own businesses".

I also ran two businesses and worked my ASS off day after day after day (one would think it would be smaller by now)! As a small business owner (and a restaurant owner to boot - read the success rate of restaurants - the SBA won't even do restaurant loans for 90% of start ups! - thank you government assistance!!) it was all on me and my ability to successfully run my business to ensure a profit. Thankfully I was able to, and made a pretty damn good profit (if I do say so myself) but there was NO help from the government and I will honestly say as a Franchise owner, who was more successful than some of my peers, there was a feeling that I shouldn't be successful since they weren't...that I was to blame for making it work while they where unable to.

The "American Dream" is great for those that make it and build it and those that understand the hard work that goes into it...its a 24/7 all the time, no breaks, no sleep, you do it all from clean the toilet to shake hands with big wigs (remember to remove the rubber gloves first!). It always baffled me the other owners who where never in their stores or had no clue (down to the last ketchup packet) what their inventory was that they where surprised they didn't make a profit. I applaud anyone who goes out there and builds something and makes it work (no this does not include people like poor Paris Hilton who did nothing to earn it!) but blaming them for being successful does not solve the problem. We make them successful by buying their products and paying their prices.

Lilith - I agree about the government...and I will be the first to say they need to get out of my business (and everyone else's). But then...no one listens to me, and I think it will get worse before it gets better (if it ever gets better).

So much for not jumping into the fray! Thanks for commenting I was feeling like I just went to far and no one was going to touch it. :truce:

Rubber Gloves?Unneccessary expense!Besides it's more fun to shake hands with the bigwigs,when only you know!I ran two motorcycle repair &customising shops.Before there were motorcycle enthusiasts,there were
only Bikers.You don't tend to get alot of "Bigwigs" in that crowd! Irish :2cents:
P.S.How are you going to get the grease off of your hands,if you wear rubber gloves?(Just kidding,my attempt at humor)