Katrina Lays Bare US Refinery Crisis

AFP ^ | 9/1/05 | Christophe Vogt

[A CA Guy]

I think we may get the Carter gas lines back over this IMO.

[Dog Gone]

I don't think so unless something else happens to knock further refining offline. The sudden spike in prices is going to discourage discretionary driving which will reduce overall demand. At the same time, the refineries that are shut down will slowly come back online.

If nothing changes but the passage of time, supply will return to normal and prices will drop.

[Brett66]

If we don't build new refineries, I doubt we'll see prices go below $2.00/gal again.

[kublia khan]

"Due in part to tougher environmental regulations and local opposition, no new refinery has been built in the United States since 1976"
Thank your friendly environmentalist

[A CA Guy]

We are at 70% capacity according to the news. We usually use near 100%, so unless we can pull gas out of our bottoms like magic, I think we'll have lines.

[stboz]

Has there been any solid info on when the refineries in the Katrina area will re-start? Just because the pipelines are moving product again doesn't mean much without more product being made.

I have not seen any info on refinery damage.

[Texasforever]

This is an economy killer that is a direct result of the insanity of the environmental lobby.

[A CA Guy]

Well, this emergency is a good reason for Bush to call for 15 new refineries in addition to fixing what we've got.

[ClaireSolt]

How about we just outlaw heating oil!

[btcusn]

Just wait till the power grid fails. We are running at about 95% capacity on our power plants too.
Jack

[SierraWasp]

This is an economy killer that is a direct result of the insanity of the environmental lobby."

BINGO!!!

[RobRoy]

We cancelled our labor day trip. We were planning on a 600 mile loop drive. We are going to stay in the Seattle area and do some tandem bike rides instead.

[Grampa Dave]

"This is an economy killer that is a direct result of the insanity of the environmental lobby."

The Watermelon elites of America have been setting up this disaster for close to 3 decades by blocking and preventing any new refineries while our population was growing legally and illegally.

They are probably drinking fine French Wines and French bottled water tonight and this weekend to celebrate their potential crippling of our economy.

[SierraWasp]

So true, Grampa!!!

[A CA Guy]

I feel real bad for those that need heating oil back east.

Even here in California we get cold in the winter without heat because the homes are made mostly without insulation in the walls. When many homes in CA were built, oil was cheap and plentiful, so nobody bothered to insulate the walls.
It's not bone chilling cold, but without heat in a house in Los Angeles in various parts of the winter, it could get down to the low 40s in a home.

I was born on the east and having some places get down without heat to maybe the 10s is not good.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

They are probably drinking fine French Wines and French bottled water tonight and this weekend to celebrate their potential crippling of our economy.

They are part of the Unholy Alliance....see the book by David Horowitz.....

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Personal note, I am without my high speed internet since about noon....working with my daughter's computer and her earthlink connection ....she is down her helping me and we are doing some upgrading on her computer. May have the broadband back by noon Sunday....very painful!

[backhoe]

Sticker Shock-$3 a gallon gas? Click the picture:

[glorgau]

Even here in California we get cold in the winter without heat because the homes are made mostly without insulation in the walls.

I hear you! Living here in the Northern California Bay area, is colder than living in Chicago where I grew up. I'm freezing all of the time. Even in Summer. Must be because insulation is looked at as a character flaw. ;-)

[Rastus]

Well, this emergency is a good reason for Bush to call for 15 new refineries in addition to fixing what we've got.

That, suspending gas taxes, and getting rid of the confused tangle of different types of reformulated gas would do wonders.