Author Topic: Phoenix gas crisis (Read 1147 times)

NUKE · « **on:** August 18, 2003, 12:53:35 PM »

It's starting to suck trying to find a place that has gas here....hundreds of gas stations out of gas. There is at least a half mile long line at the corner gas station near my house this morning ( one of 3 on that corner that actually has gas) Lucky for me I can run on propane or gas.

Its amazing .... Phoenix is the 5th largest US city and we get crippled almost overnight due to a gas pipeline ( the only one!) that should have been repaired 5 years ago.

Now all we need is a black-out ...

Mickey1992 · « **Reply #1 on:** August 18, 2003, 01:11:08 PM »

Did I read right? Nearly all of the gasoline that comes into Phoenix arrives by a single pipeline? So basically all gas at all gas stations is the same product?

NUKE · « **Reply #2 on:** August 18, 2003, 01:38:43 PM »

I was wrong, we have 2 lines ( 3 actual pipes)

There is line from California, The West Line ( 20" single pipe) and there is the East line, from El Paso through Tucson ( 2 lines, 8" & 12")

The line from Tuscon is the one that burst.

We are getting a lot of our gas trucked in at this point, but it is a mess.

Curval · « **Reply #3 on:** August 18, 2003, 01:41:36 PM »

So which line carries premium gas...and which one regular?

I think that is what Mickey is getting at.

john9001 · « **Reply #4 on:** August 18, 2003, 01:43:39 PM »

you can send different products through a pipline , they do it all the time , you shut one valve and open another. there is some mixing at the change point , it is drained off and sold seperatly.

but , yes most gas is the same when it is shipped, the difference between brands is the additives that are added at the distribution point.

Charon · « **Reply #5 on:** August 18, 2003, 01:43:43 PM »

Phoenix also has a special reformulated gasoline blend that makes it hard to swap supplies from other states or even within the same state.

In the summer our refining and distribution infrastructure operates at 98 percent capacity. We had more in the 1980s, but that led to oversupply and lower profits, so the industry cut out all the extra overhead and produced more gallons using fewer facilities. Any disruption anywhere, except perhaps in some conventional gasoline areas very close to multiple sources of supply, is going to cause a major headache.

Charon

[you can pump multiple products through the same pipline (at least until the ultra low sulfur diesel regs hit in 2005

but there is a lot of lead time to get the product from point A to point B.]

NUKE · « **Reply #6 on:** August 19, 2003, 08:10:31 PM »

Anyone in the Phoenix metro area have any secrets or tips for getting gas? This officially sucks now.

People have even been following gas trucks around , lol.

Today I was on the lookout for gas stations for people at work and the few I saw with gas had lines as long as a mile. Plus since everyone is pumping at the same time, I hear the pumps are real slow and it takes about 20 minuts for a fill up.

Gadfly · « **Reply #7 on:** August 19, 2003, 08:37:25 PM »

Ask Laz to borrow his El Camino, then you can just camp in the back and drive from station to station.

john9001 · « **Reply #8 on:** August 19, 2003, 10:43:47 PM »

the shortage could be partly self-induced, it happened in the mid 70's , people would go to the gas station to "top up " every day, result ...long lines and no gas.

DiabloTX · « **Reply #9 on:** August 19, 2003, 11:13:16 PM »

I'm guessing its being caused by my dad's big bellybutton 35 ft RV being refueled in Casa Grande. Oh wait, its my brothers SUV being refilled in Chandler. No wait, its...

NUKE · « **Reply #10 on:** August 19, 2003, 11:18:06 PM »

LOL!

I just fueled up with propane today...otherwise I would be screwed .....

lazs2 · « **Reply #11 on:** August 20, 2003, 08:52:53 AM »

"they" like to induce artificial shortages in selected cities every once in a while to see the reaction and guage how much the American public will bow down for.
lazs

loser · « **Reply #12 on:** August 20, 2003, 09:18:52 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by lazs2
"they" like to induce artificial shortages in selected cities every once in a while to see the reaction and guage how much the American public will bow down for.
lazs

And don't forget the "shortages" are an excuse for price gouging. (or is that what you are trying to say?)

Rude · « **Reply #13 on:** August 20, 2003, 09:22:27 AM »

Blame the enviromentalist!!!!

Sabre · « **Reply #14 on:** August 20, 2003, 09:36:01 AM »

Anyone still got the link for that article on the small company that can make gas out of garbage (turkey guts, plastics, etc)? I think I want to invest with that company.