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22 December 1999 Text: EIA on Y2K Impact on Oil Industry Operations (Few changes anticipated) (410)

The Energy Information Administration has reported minimal operational changes in each segment of the oil industry because of the Year 2000 (Y2K) problem.

Following is the text of the fact sheet:

(begin text)

United States Energy Information Administration

Y2K-Related Planned Changes to Oil Industry Operations

The following provides a summary of planned Y2K-related operational changes for each segment of the oil industry. Generally, the logistics side of the industry has the greatest flexibility to shift operations briefly without impact on consumers.

Crude Oil Production. EIA is not aware of any plans to halt or reduce crude oil production in the United States during the Y2K rollover.

Pipelines. A number of U.S. oil pipeline companies are planning to reduce or stop operations just before midnight and restart several hours into the new year. Because of the availability of storage both at the source and terminus of the pipelines, the operational changes will not have a significant impact on the delivery of product to consumers.

Ports. According to the Coast Guard, all U.S. ports will be operating during the Y2K rollover, though there may be some instances where the actual discharge of oil may be stopped as midnight approaches. In addition, vessels that are not Y2K compliant may be kept from entering the ports during the rollover.

Like U.S. ports, international ports are expected to be operational, with some transfers stopped during the date change. For example, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela all have announced brief suspensions of oil loadings at various ports during the rollover. In addition, navigation though narrow straits could be slowed or stopped. Turkey is reported to be planning to restrict traffic through the Bosporus for 12 hours during the changeover.

Refineries. EIA is not aware of any planned Y2K-related refinery-wide shutdowns.

Terminals. EIA is not aware of any plans to halt or reduce terminal operations during the Y2K rollover.

Gasoline Stations. Typically, 15% of U.S. gasoline stations are closed on New Year's Day. Aside from these stations, EIA is not aware of any extensive plans to close company-owned or independent gasoline stations for Y2K.

Chemical Plants. Some chemical companies intend to idle certain operations during the rollover, thereby possibly reducing the need for petrochemical feedstocks.

(end text)

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State)

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FWIW, list of documents available through links at:

http://www.usia.gov/products/washfile/latest.shtml

23 Dec 99 - Transcript: Pentagon Spokesman's Regular Briefing, Thursday, Dec. 23

23 Dec 99 - Transcript: U.S. Defense Secretary Briefing in Bosnia, Dec. 22

23 Dec 99 - Transcript: Clinton Interview for Larry King Live on CNN Dec. 23

23 Dec 99 - Text: PAHO Release on Helping Victims of Venezuela Disaster

23 Dec 99 - Transcript: White House Daily Briefing, December 22, 1999

23 Dec 99 - Monterrey Rated Best City in Latin America for Doing Business

23 Dec 99 - Text: World Bank Supports Inter-Governmental Fiscal Reforms in Russia

23 Dec 99 - Text: U.S., Jamaica Sign Pact to Share Transportation Information

23 Dec 99 - Text: WMO Reports on Warmest Century of the Millennium

23 Dec 99 - Transcript: U.S. Ambassador to NATO Remarks on European Security

23 Dec 99 - Text: FBI Statement on Possible Plans to Send Parcel Bombs to U.S.

23 Dec 99 - Text: Clinton Letter on Chemical Weapons, Australia Group

23 Dec 99 - Transcript: Carter Speech at Panama Canal Transfer Ceremony

23 Dec 99 - Text: U.S. Census Bureau on Technological Advances

23 Dec 99 - Transcript: Albright, Larson on Corporate Excellence Awards

22 Dec 99 - Transcript: State Dept. Noon Briefing, December 22, 1999

22 Dec 99 - Text: U.S. Payments to the United Nations

22 Dec 99 - Text: Clinton Names Mark Schneider as Director of the Peace Corps

22 Dec 99 - Text: FBI Adds Info on Anthony Blunt, Josephine Baker, Others to Website

22 Dec 99 - Text: EIA on Y2K Impact on Oil Industry Operations 22 Dec 99 - Text: World Bank Loan Supports Improved Electric Supply in Kazakhstan 22 Dec 99 - Text: USTR Says WTO Upholds U.S. Trade Sanctions Policy 22 Dec 99 - Text: War Crimes Prosecutor on First 100 Days, Agenda for Year 2000 22 Dec 99 - Transcript: Holbrooke Press Briefing at the U.S. Mission to the UN 22 Dec 99 - Text: ITU on Global E-Commerce Authentication 22 Dec 99 - Text: NATO Release on Year 2000 Date Change 22 Dec 99 - Transcript: United Nations Noon Briefing Highlights, December 22 22 Dec 99 - Text: Y2K Threat to Soviet-Designed Nuclear Reactors 22 Dec 99 - Text: U.S., Kazakhstan Sign Energy Agreements 22 Dec 99 - White House Report, December 22, 1999 22 Dec 99 - Revised Text: Luis Lauredo Nominated as New U.S. Envoy to O.A.S. 22 Dec 99 - U.S. Will Take Active Role in Canadian National Rail Deal 22 Dec 99 - Text: Ex-Im Bank Will Not Approve Two Loan Guarantees for Russia 22 Dec 99 - Text: Clinton Greetings "to Everyone Celebrating Kwanzaa 1999" 22 Dec 99 - United Nations Reports on Abuses of Children in Colombia 22 Dec 99 - Text: White House Y2K Czar on Countdown to New Year 22 Dec 99 - Text: Barshefsky on E-Commerce 22 Dec 99 - Text: U.S. Lifts Ban on Direct Flights Between U.S. and Nigeria 22 Dec 99 - Text: World Bank Welcomes UK Decision to Cancel Debts to Poor Countries 22 Dec 99 - Transcript: White House Daily Briefing, December 21, 1999 22 Dec 99 - Text: World Trade Organization Approves Terms of Jordan's WTO Accession 22 Dec 99 - Text: Clinton Announces New Vehicle Pollution Controls 22 Dec 99 - Text: USTR Reviews Four Countries on IPR Piracy 22 Dec 99 - Text: Slater Congratulates Nigeria on Airport Security Improvement 22 Dec 99 - Transcript: Defense Secretary Cohen Press Availability, Aviano, Italy 22 Dec 99 - Text: State Dept. Issues New Worldwide Caution on Terrorist Threat 22 Dec 99 - Text: Albright Hosts Iftar Dinner with American Muslim Leaders Dec. 21 22 Dec 99 - Holiday Shoppers Buy into Internet Retailing 22 Dec 99 - Text: FAA Orders Heightened State of Airport Security 22 Dec 99 - Text: President Clinton Issues Kwanzaa Message 21 Dec 99 - Transcript: Pentagon Spokesman's Regular Briefing, Dec. 21 21 Dec 99 - Transcript: State Dept. Noon Briefing, Tuesday, December 21, 1999 21 Dec 99 - Text: President Clinton's 1999 Christmas Greetings 21 Dec 99 - State Department's Welch Briefs on U.N. Iraq Resolution 21 Dec 99 - Text: TDA Awards Grants to Kazakhstan for Infrastructure Development 21 Dec 99 - Transcript: PBS Lehrer Report Discusses Possible Terrorist Threats 21 Dec 99 - Text: NTSB Hall's Statement on EgyptAir Salvage Operation 21 Dec 99 - Text: EPA Approves Petitions for Cleaner Air 21 Dec 99 - Text: IMF Has Approved $45 Million Stand-By Credit for Latvia 21 Dec 99 - Text: United Nations Noon Briefing Highlights, December 21, 1999 21 Dec 99 - Text: Albright Announces Site for Israeli-Syrian Talks, January 3 21 Dec 99 - Text: Department of Energy Program for Chemical Industry 21 Dec 99 - Text: Federal Reserve Leaves U.S. Interest Rates Unchanged 21 Dec 99 - Text: U.S. Statement on Beating of Imprisoned Belarus Lawmaker Klimov 21 Dec 99 - Transcript: State Dept. Noon Briefing, December 20, 1999 21 Dec 99 - Defense Department Report, Tuesday, December 21 21 Dec 99 - Text: Foley: U.S. Condemns Sri Lankan bombings of December 18 21 Dec 99 - Text: USAID Offers Assistance to Venezuela for Flooding 21 Dec 99 - Transcript: State Department Briefing on Y2K Preparations 21 Dec 99 - U.S. Helps World Prepare for Y2K 20 Dec 99 - Text: U.S., Kazakhstan Sign Defense Cooperation Plan for 2000 20 Dec 99 - Text: NATO Head Commends SFOR's Arrest of Accused War Criminal in Bosnia 20 Dec 99 - Text: United Nations Noon Briefing Highlights, December 20, 1999 20 Dec 99 - Text: Defense Secretary Cohen Visits Troops in Europe 20 Dec 99 - Transcript: White House Daily Briefing, Monday, December 20, 1999 20 Dec 99 - Text: OSCE Observers' Preliminary Statement on Russian Duma Election 20 Dec 99 - Transcript: Excerpts of Clinton Interview by ABC'S Peter Jennings 20 Dec 99 - Text: Daley Sees New Eagerness to Do Business Among Arab Countries 20 Dec 99 - Text: Criminal Tribunal on Arrest of Former Bosnian Serb Commander 20 Dec 99 - Text: President Suspends Limitations in Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 20 Dec 99 - Text: OSCE Set for January 3 Parliamentary Election in Croatia 20 Dec 99 - Building Bridges across the Digital Divide

-- Hokie (nn@va.com), December 26, 1999

Answers

Hokie, you're working overtime tonight, huh? Just wanted to thank you!

-- preparing (preparing@home.com), December 27, 1999.

Thanks Hokie!

What I really want to know is that exact date oil will go limit up so I can pick the right options!!!

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), December 27, 1999.

Looks to me like somebody in the Administration has told the US Coast Guard to SHUT UP and go along with the program whether ships and ports are compliant or not. This from a Dec. 7th issue of Federal Computer Week...

Seems like someone posted another link a week ago or so...a story that state the USCG was shutting down certain ports.

http://www.fcw.com/pubs/fcw/1998/1207/fcw-newscoast-12-7-98.htmlCoast Guard raises Y2K warning flag

Says problems could spill into oil tankers BY BOB BREWIN (antenna@fcw.com) AND ORLANDO De BRUCE (orlando_debruce@fcw.com)

SAN DIEGO -- Year 2000 date-code problems in oil tankers could lead to an oil spill in a U.S. port or slow the flow of imported oil to U.S. communities, some of which have "only a three- or four-day supply of oil,'' the Coast Guard's chief information officer said last week.

Speaking here at the Navy Connecting Technology Conference, Coast Guard CIO Rear Adm. George Naccara said concerns about computer chips that control oil pumps on vessels and in on-shore storage facilities could force the Coast Guard to issue a directive telling tankers "not to offload cargo on Dec. 31, 1999." The Coast Guard can issue an order against oil offloading from tankers under its mandate to ensure marine safety in U.S. coastal waters and ports.

The Coast Guard also is worried about how the Year 2000 problem will affect the marine transportation industry, especially the 7,000-plus foreign-flagged vessels, which make more than 80,000 visits a year to U.S. ports. Over the years, these ships have been automated with information systems that have allowed ship owners to cut costs by reducing the size of crews. Today, even the largest tankers can operate with only a crew of 10.

Naccara said that at this stage the Coast Guard has little knowledge of the Year 2000 compliance of the numerous embedded systems on ships. But his concern has captured the attention of White House Year 2000 czar John Koskinen, who has made the shipping problem "one of his top five priorities."

Koskinen, chairman of the President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion, was unavailable for comment. A council spokesman confirmed that the problem is among Koskinen's top priorities.

Naccara said the embedded-chip problems in some ships could come close to halting them dead in the water. "Some [vessels] may have problems crossing the ocean,'' which also could put a crimp in the nation's oil supply.

Natasha Brown, a spokeswoman for the International Maritime Organization in London, said officials in the group's safety division are not aware of this Year 2000 issue.

Chevron in San Francisco does not anticipate Year 2000 problems to affect the importing of oil. However, the company will not operate vessels in restricted water, such as narrow passages or ports, on Dec. 31, 1999, because officials are concerned that on-board systems may receive contaminated data from systems that are not Year 2000- compliant.

Chevron is testing its 35 tankers -- a process that will take nine days and cost about $15,000 per tanker.

Officials with other major oil companies and associations could not be reached for comment.

The Year 2000 marine infrastructure problems extend beyond oil tankers, Naccara said, to items such as the giant cranes that offload containers from cargo ships. The Coast Guard also has started to develop contingency plans to mitigate problems with critical infrastructure systems, such as the electrical power grid.

Naccara said the Coast Guard has an ongoing "broad outreach effort'' to provide Year 2000 information to every segment of the marine community, including briefing the International Maritime Organization and distributing Year 2000 brochures to foreign-flagged tankers and recreational boats. Despite these efforts, Naccara said, "I have no doubt we have great exposure [in the marine transportation environment] due to the weakness of embedded chips."

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-- R.C. (racambab@mailcity.com), December 27, 1999.

On the really important stuff, all I kept seeing was 'EIA is not aware...'

Meaningless and wide open to interpretation.

-- John Whitley (jwhitley@inforamp.net), December 27, 1999.

John,

Good point. Course, if you visit their website on oil, note that they've not updated it for several months. So, they've not been very aware for quite sometime. Kinda like being "out of the loop" :-)

-- R.C. (racambab@mailcity.com), December 27, 1999.