Extra gasoline shipments planned

greenspun.com : LUSENET : TimeBomb 2000 (Y2000) : One Thread

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/19991023/tc/yk_energy_2.html

-- Linkmeister (link@librarian.edu), October 23, 1999

Answers

[Fair Use: For Educational/Research Purposes Only]

Saturday October 23 12:03 AM ET

U.S. Energy Department Sets Y2K Watch

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Energy Department will team with industry experts to monitor any disruptions to energy supplies worldwide as Year 2000 dawns, Secretary Bill Richardson said Friday.

In a statement, Richardson said the department would staff its existing emergency operations center around the clock between Dec. 28 and ``the first several days of January 2000'' to collect information on electricity, oil and gas industries.

Government and industry experts will keep tabs on ``all domestic and international energy sector activities'' to track the Y2K bug, a design defect that could scramble unprepared computers on Jan. 1 if they confuse the new year with 1900.

Status reports will be used to brief President Clinton and other government officials, and to keep the public informed. The status reports will be fed to a $40 million White House Y2K Information Coordination Center run by John Koskinen, head of the President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion.

U.S. gasoline stations should have ample fuel supplies during the New Year's Day weekend but oil companies plan extra gasoline shipments just in case Y2K fears lead to extra fill-ups in anticipation of problems, industry and government officials said this week.

There is normally a 30-day supply of gasoline available, but oil firms are planning an extra seven-day supply of fuel shipments to handle expected higher demand, said Ron Quiggins, chairman of the American Petroleum Institute's Y2K task force.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

-- Linkmeister (link@librarian.edu), October 23, 1999.


...the Y2K bug, a design defect that could scramble unprepared computers on Jan. 1 if they confuse the new year with 1900.

I have been waiting for 18 months to read the first mainstream media report that does not contain an explanation of the problem. At this late stage, it is not a good sign that I am still waiting.

Thanks for posting, Linkmeister.

-- semper paratus (always@ready.now), October 23, 1999.


I heard on Paul Harvey today, that there's now 1 car for every American. Do you all think there's enough gasoline available to fill all those vehicles? I went to the auto wreckers today to stock up on some spare parts, and there were at least 50 auto dismantlers within a 5-mile radius. Wrecked cars everywhere and the one your driving will eventually end up there. We are a nation of WASTE! Serves us right to be so wasteful and now we have all of a sudden become frugal. No one is innocent here, we are all afraid of the future and now we have to conquer what the future holds for us. These truly are extrodinary times.

-- grease monkey (greasemonkey@greasemonkeyy.xcom), October 23, 1999.

Linkmeister,

Thanks for the post. Previous sources have indicated to me that most refineries have only a 3 day supply of storage ability so how they've suddenly come up with a 30 day supply is beyond me, let alone the Quiggins fellow saying they're looking at an extra 7 days beyond that. Quiggins is also with or used to be with Shell Oil's Y2K team. I suspect there's something's fishy here...but I'll do some further rechecking.

Meanwhile, how interesting that all of a sudden the gov't and big Oil is now coming out with this "reassuring statement" about supplies. I mean, why didn't they just reassert that there will be no problem IF there is no problem. Why bother to talk about contingency supplies? Is this perhaps more evidence that things may go haywire? Stay tuned, there's undoubtedly more to come from these folks.

-- R.C. (racambab@mailcity.com), October 24, 1999.


Moderation questions? read the FAQ