ok, this is starting to make me a bit uneasy
I have heard stories about the war, when they used to ration gas.......
I fill my car every other day ...... seeing stations like this that have no gas left scares the snot out of me......
ugh
Truckers say Ontario fuel shortage "critical"
By Jennifer Kwan
February 27, 2007
TORONTO (Reuters) -
February 27, 2007
TORONTO (Reuters) -
The Ontario Trucking Association warned on Tuesday that the big rigs used to transport everything from chickens to car parts could soon be parked on the roadside if nothing is done to alleviate a growing fuel shortage in Ontario.
Tight supplies of fuel have bedeviled motorists in Canada's biggest market since a fire at an Imperial Oil Ltd.
"We're not in a crisis situation at this moment, but things have been gradually getting worse as the days go by," Bradley said.
The situation in Ontario, which accounts for about a third of Canada's demand, was aggravated by reduced transport capability, partly due to a strike at Canadian National Railway Co.. The combination of factors meant dozens of gas stations across the province were forced to shut off their pumps as fuel supplies ran out.
CN Rail reached a tentative contract agreement with workers on Saturday, but services were not expected to return to normal for several days. As well, Imperial has said its Nanticoke, Ontario, refinery will not return to full production until mid-March.
Imperial is apportioning supplies to its chain of Esso gas stations and other customers, but rival oil companies have found their pumps running dry as they feel the spike in demand.
A growing number of trucking companies are also reporting that their bulk storage facilities are empty, or close to being depleted, and fuel suppliers are saying relief may not come for days, Bradley added.
If the fuel shortage persists, he said, smaller firms could go out of business -- and eventually shortages would be seen on store shelves. Ninety percent of consumer products and foodstuffs are shipped by truck, he said.
"If you started to see trucks being taken out of service because they couldn't get fuel it would make the CN strike of the last couple of weeks look like a tea party," Bradley said.
Imperial had already closed about 100 of its 400 Esso stations across the province since the fire, according to media reports, and on Monday the shortages had spread to Shell Canada and Petro-Canada .
The situation in Ontario, which accounts for about a third of Canada's demand, was aggravated by reduced transport capability, partly due to a strike at Canadian National Railway Co.
CN Rail reached a tentative contract agreement with workers on Saturday, but services were not expected to return to normal for several days. As well, Imperial has said its Nanticoke, Ontario, refinery will not return to full production until mid-March.
Imperial is apportioning supplies to its chain of Esso gas stations and other customers, but rival oil companies have found their pumps running dry as they feel the spike in demand.
A growing number of trucking companies are also reporting that their bulk storage facilities are empty, or close to being depleted, and fuel suppliers are saying relief may not come for days, Bradley added.
If the fuel shortage persists, he said, smaller firms could go out of business -- and eventually shortages would be seen on store shelves. Ninety percent of consumer products and foodstuffs are shipped by truck, he said.
"If you started to see trucks being taken out of service because they couldn't get fuel it would make the CN strike of the last couple of weeks look like a tea party," Bradley said.
Imperial had already closed about 100 of its 400 Esso stations across the province since the fire, according to media reports, and on Monday the shortages had spread to Shell Canada and Petro-Canada .
An Imperial spokesman could not confirm on Tuesday how many of its stations were closed.
Imperial hopes to help relieve the tight supply situation with several measures, including importing petroleum products where possible, the company said.
Supplies will likely be tight through to next week, said Steve Erwin, spokesman for Ontario's Ministry of Energy. He added consumers will be able to find gasoline, but they will be inconvenienced.
The Ontario Trucking Association is still awaiting official word from Ottawa on a proposal to allow truckers, in the short term, to use diesel fuel normally designated for off-road use such as on farms.
(c) Reuters 2007
posted by Paul @ 9:02 p.m.
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