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[For Fair Use: Educational/Research only]

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Oct. 20, 1999, 9:22PM

Oil firms nearly ready for Y2K

However, some work still needs to be done, panel reports

By ALEX CANIZARES States News Service

WASHINGTON -- The new year will be business as usual for the oil and gas industry, but there are some contingency plans that need to be completed before the rollover to 2000, according to a report released Wednesday.

The study is the result of work by the Oil and Gas Sector Working Group, which includes industry and government representatives and is sponsored by the President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion.

"Bottom line, the natural gas industry is in good shape for the year 2000," said Oliver Richard, CEO and president of Columbia Energy Group and a member of the council.

"It is a singular accomplishment that we are reporting here today, but I would stress, as the industry is aware, that there is still work to be done," said John Koskinen, the president's Y2K czar.

More than 90 percent of oil and gas companies have met the goal of dealing with the Y2K bug before year's end, according to a survey released this week by the American Petroleum Institute, Interstate Gas Pipelines Association of America and the Natural Gas Council.

Ninety-six percent of the industry (2,160 companies) took part in the survey, a 3 percentage point increase since the group's last poll in May.

"The survey indicates that all the activities to fix the problem are essentially coming to a close," said Ron Quiggins, director of the Y2K Program for Shell Services International and chairman of the American Petroleum Institute's Year 2000 Task Force.

The survey covered 99 percent of pipelines, 94 percent of natural gas distributors and 77 percent of the country's 180,000 retail gas stations.

The industry's contingency plans make the Y2K task force responsible for trying to motivate the 4 percent of the industry that isn't ready.

Because most gas stations are privately owned, persuading all of them to prepare for Y2K is no small task, Quiggins said.

"While there is not a guarantee that the stations will report, there is increasing confidence that this industry will be 100 percent ready for Y2K," Koskinen said.

Natural gas utilities and local gas stations must have backup plans to make sure the natural gas flow is not interrupted.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/business/365253

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If only all of this meant what it sounds like it's saying.

Some of the people in this Working Group refused to publicly acknowledge some of the known compliance problems in the industry, as late as August 1999.

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-- no talking please (breadlines@soupkitchen.gov), October 21, 1999

Answers

It's not so much whether the gas pumps will work, although they are important, the more important question is whether the tanks will have any gas in them.

-- nothere nothere (notherethere@hotmail.com), October 21, 1999.

Can they get the oil out of the ground? Can they get it to the refineries? Can they refine it? Call me a nitpicker, but these things seem important to me...

-- Don (whytocay@hotmail.com), October 21, 1999.

In reference to pumping gas .... with the electricity out ? SURE ! Buy a 1/3 or 1/4 HP pump ( must be one for fuels; not a regular water pump that has plastic parts that will 'melt') that runs off twelve (12) volt power source ... like, your car battery . Then pull into a gas station with no power, and tell the guy there what you have. Offer to trade a free tankful of gas for you , for one hour of pumping for him ; suggest that he can make up the difference by charging a $5 " service fee " for every car. Better yet; collect the fee yourself ! After all, it's 'Your Pump' and you can leave at anytime you please ( after paying for the gas, that is ). I already have the pump. How about you ??? Eagle

-- Hal Walker (e999eagle@freewwweb.com), October 21, 1999.