Folks

Here is the Senate hearings on Oil and whatnot. This should prove to be very interesting.
 
 

DOMESTIC, FOREIGN OIL PRODUCTION AND SHIPPING SUBJECT OF Y2K
                                                COMMITTEE HEARING
 
 

Robert S. Kripowicz
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy
Department of Energy

Ambassador William C. Ramsay
Director of the Office of Non-Member Countries
International Energy Association

Red Cavaney
President
American Petroleum Institute

Rear Admiral George N. Naccara
CIO
United States Coast Guard

Bob Malone
President
Alyeska Pipeline Service Company

Phillip M. Davies
Area Operations Manager
Chevron Shipping Company

Michael Ingle
Treasurer
Service Station Dealers of America

-- Brian (imager@ampsc.com), April 23, 1999

Answers

Brian,

Thanks for posting the links.

Two very interesting comments:

Statement of Red Cavaney President and CEO American Petroleum Institute Before the Special Senate Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem April 22, 1999

A well-informed consumer is our best ally. That is why we are concerned about misinformation on the impact of the Year 2000, conversion being trafficked in the public domain. We are concerned that some who may mean well but are nonetheless uninformed are inviting unintended consequences in the marketplace when they recommend that consumers should take their, money out of the bank, or fill their gasoline tank, or horde gasoline and groceries. 

Statement of Michael J. Ingle Treasurer Service Station Dealers of America to the Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem Regarding the Impact of Y2K on Oil Imports April 22, 1999

Question: Should I be stockpiling gasoline in preparation for the Year 2000?

There is absolutely no reason to stockpile gasoline in anticipation of the Year 2000. The petroleum industry is not anticipating any supply or distribution disruptions. The latest survey mentioned previously shows that the industry is more than 90 percent ready.

While there may be brief, isolated incidents of localized problems or circumstances beyond the industry's control, fuel should remain widely available. Therefore, the industry urges consumers not to risk their safety and the safety of their neighbors by storing unnecessary and possibly unsafe quantities of gasoline in preparation for the Year 2000."

Now--if I remember correctly--among these 'well-meaning entities,' are the American Red Cross and FEMA (please someone correct me if I'm wrong, but don't both the Red Cross and FEMA advise us to have our gas tanks filled?)

I wonder if those organizations will now amend their advisories? Hmmm. . .

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), April 23, 1999.

"The petroleum industry is not anticipating any supply or distribution disruptions."

Then please explain why Northern California is experiencing the highest gas prices in the country?

Notice, they said nothing about "price" (in that statement).

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), April 24, 1999.

FM:

I don't understand either about no filling your gas tank. I do that every time I run low. On the other hand, stockpiling gasoline terrifies me. Very dangerous, requires expensive precautions. FEMA and the Red Cross have made the same recommendations for many years. They are in the *business* of encouraging preparedness at all times. And their advice has always been good. Life is more relaxing with a reasonable cushion at any time. I see no contradiction between this testimony and FEMA or Red Cross recommendations. Neither is advising us to go overboard on this.

Diane:

The shortages in Northern California are due to explosions at refineries, combined with unique California refining requirements. Those explosions were neither expected nor planned. OK, there may be numerous unexpected problems resulting in global or national shortages. But it isn't in anyone's best interest to have those problems, just the opposite. Whether oil execs are telling it like it is or whistling past the graveyard, we'll learn soon enough.

-- Flint (flintc@mindspring.com), April 24, 1999.

Flint,

The only contradiction I see is that the "fill your gas tank" advice is time-specific. It was one of the things that jumped out at me when I first read the Red Cross advisory. The other was the "have some cash on hand" advisory.

Before Jim Lord left the Westergaard site, he reported on a meeting he attended (December I believe) of an organization that may have been called the World Future Society, or something like that. At any rate, at this meeting, Lord wrote that Harrison Fox, a staffer on Rep. Stephen Horn's committee had predicted rationing toward the end of 1999.

Well, . . .if the government believes everyone will hit the banks and the gas stations at the same time. . .what then? What would be a likely planning strategy for that? I wonder.

:)

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), April 24, 1999.

FM:

I'd expect temporary limits on cash withdrawals at the banks, and longer lines at the gas stations for a while.

-- Flint (flintc@mindspring.com), April 24, 1999.