Report: Phoenix stations run out of gasoline Wednesday, 18 October 2000 18:39 (ET)

Report: Phoenix stations run out of gasoline

PHOENIX, Oct. 18 (UPI) -- A combination of transportation and production problems and the seasonal changeover of gasoline formulas in Phoenix led to a sudden squeeze in gasoline supplies that has caused some gas stations in the city to run out of fuel, it was reported Wednesday.

The Arizona Republic reported Wednesday that "dozens of gas stations" had run out of 87-octane reformulated gasoline beginning on Tuesday after wholesale supplies from the Gulf Coast were cut off for three days by an unspecified problem with the pipeline running from El Paso into Phoenix.

The problem was compounded by a production problem at a refinery that supplies the unique reformulated gasoline (RFG) for Maricopa County, and by environmental regulations that require stations every autumn to change from an RFG formula designed to reduce emissions during hot summer weather to a winter formula.

"The type of gas we use is in real tight demand," Jim Swatman, manager of Arco's Phoenix terminal, told the Republic. "Refinery problems did not allow them to get as much product to us as we needed."

The supply situation was expected to be sorted out by the end of the week, and the shortage only effected the Phoenix area.

The shortage was similar to the longer-running supply crunch that sent gasoline process in Chicago soaring during the summer. Demand outstripped supply and there were few fresh sources of the RFG that is specifically formulated for the Chicago area.

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), October 18, 2000

Answers

Unspecified refinery problems, with maybe some pipeline problems thrown in? Hmmm! Sounds like maybe some y2k hangover troubles to me.

-- JackW (jpayne@webtv.net), October 18, 2000.