As more San Antonio area gas stations remove the bags from the nozzles and take down the ‘NO GAS’ signs, the state’s top energy regulator says the last vestiges of the bizarre ‘gasoline panic’ should be over ‘within 24 to 48 hours,’ News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
Texas Railroad Commissioner Ryan Sitton says several steps have been taken to restore the state’s gasoline delivery infrastructure to its pre-Harvey condition.
He says several major pipelines which had to be checked after Harvey struck have been cleared to resume operations, and several Texas refineries have been restarted.
"Texas' energy infrastructure is recovering quickly from the devastating impacts of Hurricane Harvey. The industry and state and federal governments have worked expeditiously to ensure that citizens' energy needs are met, primarily at the gas pump,” Sitton said in a statement.
He says Valero Energy has restarted a key pipeline to transport gasoline from its Corpus Christi area refineries to San Antonio.
“Consumers should remember that the last few miles of the gasoline supply chain requires trucks to take the product from terminals to the pumps. This is not an instantaneous process. It takes time but they are making great progress at refueling stations across the state. We expect that most areas will see gas stations back in operation in the next 24 to 48 hours, with a few pockets around the state possibly extending beyond,” he said.
Sitton said several steps taken by Gov. Abbott have temporarily lifted regulations to allow out of state trucks to help supply Texas gas stations with fuel. The EPA has also temporarily waived summer gasoline requirements for refiners which will make it easier to get refined product into pipelines quickly.
In addition, most oil and gas production in the Eagle Ford shale field is back on line, or soon will be.
Sitton says there are 230 million gallons of unleaded gasoline in storage around the country, so there never was a ‘shortage’ of gasoline. He says ‘logistical problems’ brought on by Hurricane Harvey, where the usual supply process to stations was disrupted, coupled with panic buying and hoarding by consumers, led to the gasoline crisis.
As more gas stations open up, there have been fewer reports of lines forming at stations today, and hoarding has also fallen off as customers know that gasoline will be available when they need it.
Sitton also says ‘black market’ gasoline retailers were reported to authorities at the height of the gas crisis over the weekend. He says a license is required to sell gasoline, and criminal charges will be brought against black market retailers.
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