Hello All,
First and foremost, I can take a few of the ferrets in need - will email
to appropriate addy.
 
As to the cost of gas:
I work in this industry, and may be able to give some insight:
The price gouging has stopped very quickly.  The 4 states that my company
services have their Attorney Generals involved, and any report is
investigated and prices are lowered or pumps are "locked down".  Since
the NYSE is not opening til Monday, prices will stay roughly the same all
weekend.  This, of course, is provided that the local racks (loading
facilities) in your area have enough supply on hand to meet the need.
 
Racks order their product anywhere from 4-6 months in advance.  The
tragedy of Tuesday, and the resulting gas craze, was, of course, not
accounted for in the ordering process back in the spring.  As there are
different types of gasoline, supply will depend on what your state and
city/county regulations are.  In this area, Louisville and surrounding
areas burn RFG - reformulated gas - as it has a lower vapor pressure -
the 2 counties directly across the river burn RFG til midnite Saturday,
when they roll back over to Conventional gas - a higher vapor pressure.
Chances are that RFG gas will be tight here over the weekend because there
was considerably more RFG product bought this week than could possibly
have been foreseen.
 
Marathon/Ashland controls the market in this area, and although they did
raise their wholesale price on Tuesday by $0.12 per gallon, this was only
for 2 hours and was then rescinded, and an apology issued.  For once,
BigOil did not bend us over.  Personally, I feel that the media is totally
to blame for the craze that happened at the gas stations on Tuesday.  We
had stations that sell 150-200 gallons a day blow out 4000-4500 gallons.
We are still scrambling to get everyone back pumping.  3-4 hour delays
at the racks are common.  So far, the collective public has been
understanding.  If there is a shortage this weekend, it is not the oil
companies - or OPEC's fault.  The media started this with unsubstantiated
hype.  Please - no flames - I DO NOT defend bigoil OR OPEC.  I'm just
trying to relay some "inside" info on how things may turn out this weekend
for us all.
 
I am a bundle of emotions, just like everyone else over the horrific
events of Tuesday.
 
I am also concerned for the safety of my drivers if things get ugly this
weekend.  The drivers I dispatch carry around 8800 gallons of bomb behind
them all day.  Unfortunately, we are dependant on fossil fuel.  Only 35 %
of what we, as a nation, use comes from the OPEC nations, but they are
seen as the problem.  In lieu of the events at the WTC, Washington, and PA
and that they stemmed from that part of the world, the entire industry
that I work in is concerned about safety, not only for our drivers and
equipment, but for the general public, as well.
 
Sorry this got so long, BIG.  And so off subject, I just hope it helps to
explain a little about the problems at the pumps.
 
My heart and thoughts go out to all who have been touched by the terrible
attacks on us.
 
Erika
[Posted in FML issue 3540]