East Coast Gas Shortage

WTP-GC wrote:

GoPackGo wrote:
I think that one of the things to notice is that there is no 'extra' capacity in the system. Any little hiccup translates into a shortage at the pump. Normal demand pretty much uses up all the fuel that is available. Not good.

IMO, I don't think that's entirely accurate. Rather, I would suggest that the industry doesn't have a good contingency plan in place in the event that their distribution channel was disrupted, which is what actually happened in this case. Either that, or their projected timeline of repair didn't justify activating other options.

Regardless, its still not good that even such a minor problem has created a major regional issue.

Colonial's gasoline line carries about 1.2 million barrels of product every day from Texas and Louisiana refineries to truck loading terminals throughout the southeastern U.S. and all the way to Linden, N.J (1,600 miles). That's over 50 million gallons every day. The distillate line (diesel, kerosene, jet fuel) carries another 50 million gallons every day. The gasoline line capacity is fully utilized every day, so much so that there is a secondary market among shippers where they resell their allotted capacity on the line for a premium price. That 1.2 million barrels of gasoline fills 6,500 tanker trucks every day for the final few miles of its journey. What contingency plan would provide for alternate transportation of those 6,500 truckloads every day for the first 1,000 miles of its journey?