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State Chapters => Texas => Topic started by: corbe on September 01, 2017, 02:09:58 am

Title: Texas AG warns gas stations against raising prices in Harvey aftermath
Post by: corbe on September 01, 2017, 02:09:58 am
Texas AG warns gas stations against raising prices in Harvey aftermath

 By Josh Delk - 08/31/17 08:40 PM EDT 


Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Thursday warned gas stations in the state against taking advantage of people affected by Tropical Storm Harvey, saying his office received more than 500 complaints of high gas prices around the state.

The complaints alleged that gas stations in Dallas, a city on the edge of the storm's radius, were charging between $6-8 per gallon of gasoline, according to the attorney general's statement.

<..snip..>

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/348802-texas-ag-warns-gas-stations-against-raising-prices-amid-harvey (http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/348802-texas-ag-warns-gas-stations-against-raising-prices-amid-harvey)
Title: Re: Texas AG warns gas stations against raising prices in Harvey aftermath
Post by: corbe on September 01, 2017, 02:12:32 am
   Went up 10 cents in the Texas Hill Country last 18 hours, Lines are forming at my local, don't know if it's Hoarders or we really are running out of Gas.

  Currently $2.20
Title: Re: Texas AG warns gas stations against raising prices in Harvey aftermath
Post by: bigheadfred on September 01, 2017, 02:21:48 am
   Went up 10 cents in the Texas Hill Country last 18 hours, Lines are forming at my local, don't know if it's Hoarders or we really are running out of Gas.

  Currently $2.20

Ours went up to $2.69 for the eclipse and it is still there. Was at $2.25.
Title: Re: Texas AG warns gas stations against raising prices in Harvey aftermath
Post by: anubias on September 01, 2017, 02:24:18 am
Ours has gone up ten cents per day.  Long lines and many stations out of gas.
Title: Re: Texas AG warns gas stations against raising prices in Harvey aftermath
Post by: Victoria33 on September 01, 2017, 03:38:12 am
I said one/two days ago to fill your tank as gas would be scarce in Texas.  Gas stations in Dallas and Denton are out of gas.  Today, there were long lines of cars at gas stations until there was no more gas.  We were also in Denton, Texas, and there were no cars at gas stations and pumps were covered with red plastic covers as there was no gas in them.  I also said the Energy Department (the federal government) would have to use reserves and now they have opened the reserves and sent 500,000 barrels to a refinery that is still in operation in Louisiana.

"With Americans using about 9.7 million barrels per day of gasoline, the threat of a fuel supply crunch has grown as the storm and flooding in Harvey's aftermath brought a huge chunk of U.S. oil production and refining capacity to a halt. As of Thursday, some 15 refineries representing about 25 percent of U.S. refining capacity were offline from Corpus Christi, Texas, to Port Arthur, Texas, the Energy Department reported. That includes Motiva Enterprises, the nation's biggest refinery, which announced Wednesday it would begin a 'controlled shutdown.'"
Title: Re: Texas AG warns gas stations against raising prices in Harvey aftermath
Post by: Wingnut on September 01, 2017, 01:18:01 pm
Gas prices always rise prior to the labor day weekend travel holiday.  Nothing to see here just a few market disruptions along with normal price creep.  It will self correct by next wednesday.
Title: Re: Texas AG warns gas stations against raising prices in Harvey aftermath
Post by: anubias on September 01, 2017, 01:50:30 pm
I said one/two days ago to fill your tank as gas would be scarce in Texas.  Gas stations in Dallas and Denton are out of gas.  Today, there were long lines of cars at gas stations until there was no more gas.  We were also in Denton, Texas, and there were no cars at gas stations and pumps were covered with red plastic covers as there was no gas in them.  I also said the Energy Department (the federal government) would have to use reserves and now they have opened the reserves and sent 500,000 barrels to a refinery that is still in operation in Louisiana.

"With Americans using about 9.7 million barrels per day of gasoline, the threat of a fuel supply crunch has grown as the storm and flooding in Harvey's aftermath brought a huge chunk of U.S. oil production and refining capacity to a halt. As of Thursday, some 15 refineries representing about 25 percent of U.S. refining capacity were offline from Corpus Christi, Texas, to Port Arthur, Texas, the Energy Department reported. That includes Motiva Enterprises, the nation's biggest refinery, which announced Wednesday it would begin a 'controlled shutdown.'"

It was the fools running to top off their tanks whether they needed the gas or not that caused the shortage.  Yelling "Fire!" in a theater because you think a fire could possibly occur sometime in the future is unwise.  Being smug after the yell, when everyone has been trampled isn't exactly in good form either.

Title: Re: Texas AG warns gas stations against raising prices in Harvey aftermath
Post by: Wingnut on September 01, 2017, 01:57:41 pm
It was the fools running to top off their tanks whether they needed the gas or not that caused the shortage.  Yelling "Fire!" in a theater because you think a fire could possibly occur sometime in the future is unwise.  Being smug after the yell, when everyone has been trampled isn't exactly in good form either.

You can yell "Fire"  But you can't yell "Wolf"*

*“The Constitution does not say that a person can shout…yell ‘wolf’ in a crowded theater. If you are endangering people, then you don’t have a constitutional right to do that" So says Constitutional and Great quotations scholar, Nancy Pelosi
Title: Re: Texas AG warns gas stations against raising prices in Harvey aftermath
Post by: Suppressed on September 01, 2017, 02:16:04 pm
Well, preventing the prices from rising will ensure nobody spends the money to drive fuel there from elsewhere.
Title: Re: Texas AG warns gas stations against raising prices in Harvey aftermath
Post by: thackney on September 01, 2017, 02:33:14 pm
I said one/two days ago to fill your tank as gas would be scarce in Texas.  Gas stations in Dallas and Denton are out of gas.  Today, there were long lines of cars at gas stations until there was no more gas.  We were also in Denton, Texas, and there were no cars at gas stations and pumps were covered with red plastic covers as there was no gas in them.  I also said the Energy Department (the federal government) would have to use reserves and now they have opened the reserves and sent 500,000 barrels to a refinery that is still in operation in Louisiana.

"With Americans using about 9.7 million barrels per day of gasoline, the threat of a fuel supply crunch has grown as the storm and flooding in Harvey's aftermath brought a huge chunk of U.S. oil production and refining capacity to a halt. As of Thursday, some 15 refineries representing about 25 percent of U.S. refining capacity were offline from Corpus Christi, Texas, to Port Arthur, Texas, the Energy Department reported. That includes Motiva Enterprises, the nation's biggest refinery, which announced Wednesday it would begin a 'controlled shutdown.'"

https://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2017/08/f36/Hurricane%20Harvey%20Event%20Summary%20%2312_0.pdf

As of 03:00 PM EDT, August 31, 10 refineries in the Gulf Coast region remain shut down,
according to public reports. These refineries have a combined refining capacity of 3,075,229 b/d,
equal to 31.7% of total Gulf Coast (PADD 3) refining capacity and 16.6% of total U.S. refining
capacity.

Six refineries had begun the process of restarting, which may take a several days or weeks
depending whether they have been damaged. These refineries have a combined capacity of
1,269,720 b/d, equal to 13.1% of total Gulf Coast (PADD 3) refining capacity and 4.2% of total U.S.

Two refineries in the Gulf Coast region were operating at reduced rates. The refineries have a
combined capacity of 688,776 b/d, equal to 7.1% of total Gulf Coast (PADD 3) refining capacity
and 3.7% of total U.S. refining capacity.
refining capacity.
Title: Re: Texas AG warns gas stations against raising prices in Harvey aftermath
Post by: thackney on September 01, 2017, 02:59:58 pm
https://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2017/08/f36/Hurricane%20Harvey%20Event%20Summary%20%2312_0.pdf

As of 03:00 PM EDT, August 31,

New update released:

Tropical Depression Harvey
Event Report (Update #13)
REPORT TIME & DATE: 10:00 AM EDT | Friday, September 1, 2017
https://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2017/09/f36/Hurricane%20Harvey%20Event%20Summary%20%2313.pdf

....PETROLEUM REFINERIES

Four refineries in the Gulf Coast region were operating at reduced rates (an increase of two).
The refineries have a combined capacity of 1,104,776, b/d, equal to 11.4% of total Gulf Coast
(PADD 3) refining capacity and 6% of total U.S. refining capacity.

Six refineries had begun the process of restarting from being shut down, which may take a
several days or weeks to start producing product, depending whether they have been
damaged. These refineries have a combined capacity of 1,269,720 b/d, equal to 13.1% of total
Gulf Coast (PADD 3) refining capacity and 4.2% of total U.S. refining capacity.

As of 08:00 AM EDT, September 1, 10 refineries in the Gulf Coast region were shut down,
according to public reports. These refineries have a combined refining capacity of 3,075,229
b/d, equal to 31.7% of total Gulf Coast (PADD 3) refining capacity and 16.6% of total U.S.
refining capacity.
Title: Re: Texas AG warns gas stations against raising prices in Harvey aftermath
Post by: Sanguine on September 01, 2017, 03:03:48 pm
I heeded Victoria's advice so I have a full tank at a reasonableish price. 
Title: Re: Texas AG warns gas stations against raising prices in Harvey aftermath
Post by: Hurricane Andrew on September 01, 2017, 03:07:04 pm
Well, preventing the prices from rising will ensure nobody spends the money to drive fuel there from elsewhere.
Bingo.
Title: Re: Texas AG warns gas stations against raising prices in Harvey aftermath
Post by: jedidah on September 01, 2017, 03:12:14 pm
Much of the problem is distribution, not to mention panic

Stations ran out yesterday, but many got new deliveries last night.  Gas was hard to find last night; long lines.  There is gas available this morning.

We all just need to cooperate and live in moderation for a short while.

I'm in DFW.
Title: Re: Texas AG warns gas stations against raising prices in Harvey aftermath
Post by: Wingnut on September 01, 2017, 03:19:21 pm
They have these things...I think they call them "Apps"  A friend of mine in HEB said it told them which stations had gas and the cost.  I told him he was making that up because all the news reports said there was no gas to be found in the entire DFW metroplex.
Title: Re: Texas AG warns gas stations against raising prices in Harvey aftermath
Post by: Sanguine on September 01, 2017, 03:22:31 pm
They have these things...I think they call them "Apps"  A friend of mine in HEB said it told them which stations had gas and the cost.  I told him he was making that up because all the news reports said there was no gas to be found in the entire DFW metroplex.

Yes, GasBuddy is one of them.
Title: Re: Texas AG warns gas stations against raising prices in Harvey aftermath
Post by: Victoria33 on September 01, 2017, 03:37:03 pm
Yelling "Fire!" in a theater because you think a fire could possibly occur sometime in the future is unwise.  Being smug after the yell, when everyone has been trampled isn't exactly in good form either.
@anubias
@Sanguine

My first report was from an earth scientist retired from Exxon/Mobil.  He knew there would be a shortage based on the condition of the refineries. He knew the Energy Dept. would open the reserves, which they did.   He also knew the price would go up.   I put that report on here so people here could get gas before it dried up. My report didn't make the gas scarce or hike the price, I simply reported what was going to happen and it did.  Some on here said it wouldn't happen, and one said refineries were working putting out copious amounts of gas right then.  That is the report that was false, mine wasn't.
Title: Re: Texas AG warns gas stations against raising prices in Harvey aftermath
Post by: jedidah on September 01, 2017, 04:04:31 pm
They have these things...I think they call them "Apps"  A friend of mine in HEB said it told them which stations had gas and the cost.  I told him he was making that up because all the news reports said there was no gas to be found in the entire DFW metroplex.

http://tracker.gasbuddy.com/Search.aspx?t=search
Title: Re: Texas AG warns gas stations against raising prices in Harvey aftermath
Post by: berdie on September 01, 2017, 06:23:35 pm
I'm about 65 miles away from Dallas in a small community. I work there, but am on vacation this week. Everybody I talked to in Dallas said the lines are horrible.

I stopped for gas yesterday. Both cars on either side of me were filling up multiple large gas cans and putting them in the trunks of their cars.

This really doesn't seem like a very good option to me...but what the heck do I know?
Title: Re: Texas AG warns gas stations against raising prices in Harvey aftermath
Post by: Sanguine on September 01, 2017, 06:35:47 pm
@berdie, I really think things will settle down and be back to semi-normal next week.  People just overreacting.   
Title: Re: Texas AG warns gas stations against raising prices in Harvey aftermath
Post by: berdie on September 01, 2017, 06:45:28 pm
@berdie, I really think things will settle down and be back to semi-normal next week.  People just overreacting.

That is my opinion as well @Sanguine . If I hadn't been so low on gas yesterday, I'd have just waited until next week.
Title: Re: Texas AG warns gas stations against raising prices in Harvey aftermath
Post by: anubias on September 03, 2017, 04:42:48 am
Gas prices always rise with a Hurricane in the Gulf. Everybody running to fill up to save those dimes is what causes the problem. I filled up this morning at $2.59 per gallon. Up 30 cents.  Not nearly as painful as expected. No lines here, thank goodness!  I guess the rush was over by the time I went.
Title: Re: Texas AG warns gas stations against raising prices in Harvey aftermath
Post by: Smokin Joe on September 03, 2017, 05:36:53 am
Gas prices always rise with a Hurricane in the Gulf. Everybody running to fill up to save those dimes is what causes the problem. I filled up this morning at $2.59 per gallon. Up 30 cents.  Not nearly as painful as expected. No lines here, thank goodness!  I guess the rush was over by the time I went.
87  octane E10 at 2.89 in North Dakota today. This isn't exactly a Labor Day hotspot, so I'd guess supplier uncertainties drive that. In retail, this load will have to pay for the next, which is why prices go up fast and come down slow.
Title: Re: Texas AG warns gas stations against raising prices in Harvey aftermath
Post by: Gefn on September 03, 2017, 06:31:12 am
I got gas on Wednesday at 2.30 a gallon. Saturday it was 2.75 or 2.79 depending on which station you went to.

That's a pretty big jump in a few days. Could be from the hurricane, or could be gouging for Labor Day weekend everyone goes down to the shore, school starts again on either Tuesday or Wednesday
Title: Re: Texas AG warns gas stations against raising prices in Harvey aftermath
Post by: Oceander on September 03, 2017, 01:25:11 pm
Why is market-pricing always called gouging, at least when prices go up because demand has gone up - as basic Econ 101 tells us they should.  And how come nobody ever salutes sellers as selfless patriots when they bring prices down?
Title: Re: Texas AG warns gas stations against raising prices in Harvey aftermath
Post by: bigheadfred on September 03, 2017, 01:58:21 pm
Why is market-pricing always called gouging, at least when prices go up because demand has gone up - as basic Econ 101 tells us they should.  And how come nobody ever salutes sellers as selfless patriots when they bring prices down?

I don't know, exactly, how they figure demand. The price went up 45 cents overnight here 3 days before the eclipse and stayed there until last night. It is 18 cents cheaper here this morning. In the middle of a holiday weekend. Plus the Eastern Idaho State Fair is in full swing up the road a bit. So it doesn't seem like demand is so much of what is driving the prices.
Title: Re: Texas AG warns gas stations against raising prices in Harvey aftermath
Post by: Oceander on September 03, 2017, 02:25:55 pm
I don't know, exactly, how they figure demand. The price went up 45 cents overnight here 3 days before the eclipse and stayed there until last night. It is 18 cents cheaper here this morning. In the middle of a holiday weekend. Plus the Eastern Idaho State Fair is in full swing up the road a bit. So it doesn't seem like demand is so much of what is driving the prices.

Sure it is:  same level of demand for a smaller supply.  Same dynamic: price must go up. 
Title: Re: Texas AG warns gas stations against raising prices in Harvey aftermath
Post by: bigheadfred on September 03, 2017, 02:41:45 pm
Sure it is:  same level of demand for a smaller supply.  Same dynamic: price must go up.

The price dropped last night. I must be missing something here. Like I am stuck in Econ 99.
Title: Re: Texas AG warns gas stations against raising prices in Harvey aftermath
Post by: Oceander on September 03, 2017, 04:27:26 pm
The price dropped last night. I must be missing something here. Like I am stuck in Econ 99.

Change in demand, change in supply (both forecast), or political meddling by the AG.  Go ask the company for their pricing policies.  I doubt very much if "stick it to the little guy by gouging him" is part of the pricing system. 
Title: Re: Texas AG warns gas stations against raising prices in Harvey aftermath
Post by: anubias on September 03, 2017, 04:31:39 pm
Why is market-pricing always called gouging, at least when prices go up because demand has gone up - as basic Econ 101 tells us they should.  And how come nobody ever salutes sellers as selfless patriots when they bring prices down?

 Like math, economics is hard for some.
Title: Re: Texas AG warns gas stations against raising prices in Harvey aftermath
Post by: Smokin Joe on September 03, 2017, 06:48:47 pm
Why is market-pricing always called gouging, at least when prices go up because demand has gone up - as basic Econ 101 tells us they should.  And how come nobody ever salutes sellers as selfless patriots when they bring prices down?
Because those same people who gripe about $4 gasoline, standing there pumping it into a $60+ car on a softened 4WD chassis, drinking $1.79/liter bottled water (roughly $7/gallon), don't have a clue. 
Title: Re: Texas AG warns gas stations against raising prices in Harvey aftermath
Post by: Smokin Joe on September 03, 2017, 06:51:56 pm
The price dropped last night. I must be missing something here. Like I am stuck in Econ 99.
Word of supplies coming in has softened the market, and reduced fear of having to pay substantially more for the next load of fuel in the tanks you pump gas out of when you fill your car. The present load in those underground tanks was paid for by the last retail sales, the next load will be paid for by the sales of what you are pumping now. If the owner/managers think the price will be higher for the next load of product, they'll charge more. Apparently those fears of wholesaler price rises have been allayed somewhat.
Title: Re: Texas AG warns gas stations against raising prices in Harvey aftermath
Post by: thackney on September 03, 2017, 06:55:58 pm
The price dropped last night. I must be missing something here. Like I am stuck in Econ 99.

There was a lot of panic buying as word got out about the refineries.  Temporary spike in demand as more people than normal try to fill up.  People tried to fill up extra gasoline cans, buy more in the panic.

But they are not driving more, so overall longer-term demand isn't up for the area, it is actually lower.  They are not going to buy the same amount of gasoline day after day as they did in the first panic.  It is why the rumor-mongers do more harm than actually help people.
Title: Re: Texas AG warns gas stations against raising prices in Harvey aftermath
Post by: austingirl on September 04, 2017, 02:53:14 pm
There was no gas in Kerrville or Bandera or the part of San Antonio I drove to on Saturday. On the way back I saw a Shell station got a delivery and the gas was 2.99. I haven't bought gas since the day Harvey hit but will have to soon. I hope I can find some. People are insane with filling gas cans and causing panic. I am using the Gas Buddy tracker, but by the time I can drive somewhere, the gas might be gone.

Well, this, too shall pass.
Title: Re: Texas AG warns gas stations against raising prices in Harvey aftermath
Post by: Smokin Joe on September 04, 2017, 03:03:45 pm
There was no gas in Kerrville or Bandera or the part of San Antonio I drove to on Saturday. On the way back I saw a Shell station got a delivery and the gas was 2.99. I haven't bought gas since the day Harvey hit but will have to soon. I hope I can find some. People are insane with filling gas cans and causing panic. I am using the Gas Buddy tracker, but by the time I can drive somewhere, the gas might be gone.

Well, this, too shall pass.
Do like we do in ND. Drive on the top half of the tank. Regard 1/2 as empty and you will never run out. It is a winter habit, to make sure there's enough to keep you from freezing if you end up stranded, but I do it year-round. Do the math of the difference (most vehicles, that's at most 11 gallons for a half tank or less, at 50 cents a gallon. (Actually, the smallest gas tank in our herd is 28 gallons) For 5-7 bucks extra (over what you would have paid pre-Harvey) you can have 'fuel security' without going overboard and filling the trunk or truck bed with flammable liquids.
Stay safe! Our prayers are with you all.
Title: Re: Texas AG warns gas stations against raising prices in Harvey aftermath
Post by: austingirl on September 04, 2017, 04:01:00 pm
Do like we do in ND. Drive on the top half of the tank. Regard 1/2 as empty and you will never run out. It is a winter habit, to make sure there's enough to keep you from freezing if you end up stranded, but I do it year-round. Do the math of the difference (most vehicles, that's at most 11 gallons for a half tank or less, at 50 cents a gallon. (Actually, the smallest gas tank in our herd is 28 gallons) For 5-7 bucks extra (over what you would have paid pre-Harvey) you can have 'fuel security' without going overboard and filling the trunk or truck bed with flammable liquids.
Stay safe! Our prayers are with you all.

Good advice.