http://biz.yahoo.com/rf/991115/bh7.html

-- Linkmeister (link@librarian.edu), November 16, 1999

Answers

[Fair Use: For Educational/Research Purposes Only]

Monday November 15, 8:06 pm Eastern Time

Explorer to shut pipe temporarily New Year's Eve

NEW YORK, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Explorer Pipeline Co. said on Monday it plans to idle its entire oil products pipeline system, which feeds the U.S. Midwest, for 20 hours starting on New Year's Eve to guard against any unexpected Y2K incidents.

``We will do the same thing as Colonial. We will shut our system temporarily,'' Explorer President and Chief Executive Officer Scott Van Dyke told Reuters by telephone.

The Houston-to-Chicago Explorer Pipeline, the second largest refined products pipeline in America and jointly owned by eight oil companies, can pump as much as 700,000 barrels per day of refined products like gasoline and distillates.

Colonial, the No.1 pipeline firm, has already announced an eight hour shutdown of its entire 8,480-km (5,300-miles) long oil products line from Houston to New York, starting before midnight December 31, to avoid any such disruptions.

Officials at Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Explorer said the Explorer line shutdown will last from 5:00 p.m. (CST) on December 31 until 1 p.m. January 1, 2000.

For Colonial, which has a capacity of some 2.1 million bpd, the shutdown is due to start at 6:30 p.m. (EST) and last for eight hours.

Experts fear potential problems to communications or power supply, for instance, due to the so-called Year 2000 computer bug, which may cause some older computers to malfunction after the date roll on December 31, 1999.

``We have excess capacity this time of year so the shutdown will not be a big problem...We should be able to compensate for the supply loss,'' Tom Jensen, Explorer's manager of shipper relations and transportation services, told Reuters.

He said although the Explorer system was Y2K-compliant, like Colonial's, the company was taking no chances.

``If we had any problems with communications or power supply we want to make sure that our line is down at that time so we have no unforeseen problems,'' Jensen told Reuters.

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-- Linkmeister (link@librarian.edu), November 16, 1999.

Let me see if I have this straight...

Explorer President and Chief Executive Officer, Scott Van Dyke, (probably of sound mind and body) has decided that the most reasonable action is to prepare for the possibility of events beyond his control.

It looks like 'Tinfoil, Doomer, Wacko logic' is becoming fashionable...

-- PNG (png@gol.com), November 16, 1999.

I know that the Bank of Scotland is switching off over the rollover, and they don't plan on coming back up until they are sure that the international banking network is stable. Think about that, in isolation, just for a second. Scared yet? Now imagine if a bunch of other banks decide to pull out and not rejoin until their competitors do so. Who'll blink first? Are you scared yet?

I wonder how many other "fully confident" companies are also doing it. Most of them won't publicise it, so I expect we'll never know.

So, why exactly is it OK for businesses to say "No problem" but prepare for one, when people taking personal precautions are hoarders and wackos? I know, old thread. It just makes me despair.

-- Colin MacDonald (roborogerborg@yahoo.com), November 16, 1999.

I know for a fact that the Natl. Institute of Health will be going off the grid prior to the shutdown.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

-- 8 (8@8.com), November 16, 1999.

Here in the PNW our local ABC affiliate announced last Friday that Olympic pipeline will shut down for 8 hours during rollover (WHEW!).

-- Sammie (sammiex0@hotmail.com), November 16, 1999.

Lets see if I get this...

Explorer Pipeline Co ===> plans to idle its entire oil products pipeline system ===> which feeds the U.S. Midwest ===> for 20 hours...

Because...

''...If we had any problems with communications or power supply we want to make sure that our line is down at that time so we have no unforeseen problems...''

Smart move.

What happens then... IF... there are still unforseen problems?

Just a thought.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), November 16, 1999.

And so, it begins!

This is significant. The roaches are starting to come out of the woodwork. How many others are hiding in there?

-- (pshannon@inch.com), November 16, 1999.

Just like the Philip Greenspun's photo at the bottom:

Some companies/people will feel like the bear...

and some companies/people will feel like the salmon.

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I'd rather be the bear.

-- PNG (png@gol.com), November 16, 1999.

Di,

You are not supposed to ask those really advanced questions due to the fact that we only want to think about things we can handle. You know like just turn everything off for a couple hours and that will eliminate any problems.

-- d.b. (dciinc@aol.com), November 16, 1999.

No way. The truth IS starting to seep into the mainstream. What's next. I suspect they're turning all the reactors off, too. Just not tellin.....

-- eeek (whoa@nelly.nelly), November 16, 1999.