Does anyone predict a propane shortage? I don't know how it is made and therefore can't predict if it will be plentiful or not. Anyone know??

-- jeanne (jeanne@hurry.now), March 02, 1999

Answers

Propane is a petroleum byproduct, Jeanne, so its availability will be subject to the same refinery vagaries as gasoline, diesel and all the others. Does anyone know? Nope.

-- Vic (Roadrunner@compliant.com), March 02, 1999.

Include further unknowns: unlike gasoline (one company controls from oil field to refinery to shipping to tank farm to tank truck to gas station to billing systems) the propane business has mre intermediate (possibly uncompliant) businesses and ditributors involved - also, the local distributors (if buying the smaller tanks, as at gas stations or grocery stores) require refilling supply tanks, inspectors, trucks, etc that might be out of their direct control.

Will propane be available in jan and feb? As said above, don't know - but it can be stored and is safer, more efficient than gasoline for many services. Get it before hand, it will be useful in the right appliances. Will it be available "for ever" if TSHTF? No, unless you're living right above a gas well.....

-- Robert A. Cook, P.E. (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), March 02, 1999.

Answer to question, "How is it made"? GOD & Dinosaurs

We will probably see shortages. I believe the oil industry is in deep do do. Imports, Shipping, Refining etc.

-- c3p0 (r2d2@y2k.com), March 02, 1999.

Actually LPG(propane) is part of natural gas. Of all the fuels likely to be in severe shortage, propane is the least likely. In the southeast/middle USA is the largest natural gas preserve in the World. We have as much natural gas in the USA as Saudia Arabia has oil. Glenna

-- Glenna Kamoroff (kamoroff@hotmail.com), March 02, 1999.

Sorry, to disillusion you but, I can easily see a problem with propane supplies. Propane is a by product of the refining of natural gas and oil.

Due to the distribution of propane by rail, pipeline, and transport, it does not take much to disrupt propane supplies. It is not uncommon for the pipeline to go on allocation after only a couple of weeks of severe weather.

Also the average propane retailer stores, at most a week or two inventory for retail deliveries.

Many retailers do not even have back up generators in case of a power loss. Propane needs electric to load and in most cases unload say off a rail car that requires a compressor. Many have phone systems that won't work without power, yet no back-up power source.

Many retailers have propane powered trucks that will often not start in cold weather unless they are plugged in to block heaters.

Propane is often a "back-up" fuel for natural gas, if there are natural gas distribution problems it could quickly impact propane.

there is much more I could say relating to this product but enough for now. My advice is to be careful of the company you deal with because many are not being exactly honest on their Y2K preparedness.

-- Archimedes (robin@icubed.com), March 03, 1999.