Gasoline Crisis

It seeems like everyone is predicting a gasoline shortage is going to become
the new big national security problem. I remember the issue in 1974 was the
Cutlass got bad mileage and had a big tank. I wish I had kept it full all the
time. I ran out of gas waiting in line at the Standard Oil station in Chicago.
The best move has to be to fill the tank and keep it full. Give some
flexibility when the spaghetti really hits the fan. Plus, there have never been
fewer refineries in this country (all the little regional ones have been
mothballed). What happens when Usama flies a Cessna 152 into the Exxon/Mobil
refinery? That'll cut refinery production 10% or more in North America.
Couldn't they put a big net or barrage balloons around the big refineries?
Worked in England in WWII. Maybe Bush and his Oil Buddies aren't doing all
they can to see that the inevitable doesn't happen. Don't have to be
Nostradamus to see this coming........

 

A Cessna 152?? Nothing would happen.

 

What happens when Usama flies a Cessna 152 into the Exxon/Mobil

Ahhhhh..... Depends on the size of the bomb and the aim of the pilot. A 300#
bomb could make a big bang, and is well within the (overloaded) capacity of a
Cessna 150.

Quent

 

A truck bomb would do much more damage, even if it didn't detonate right
next to target, and is far likelier to succeed than attempting to fly a 1500
pound Cessna containing a tiny bomb into a target.

 

A truck bomb would do much more damage, even if it didn't detonate right

No problem. Far superior to a Cessna. Easy alternative. Kaboom!

Quent

 

Actually - NO. I recall when the state imposed a minimum gas purchase of
$5. in 1978, the lines disappeared overnight.... stupidity RULEZ.

The old small "tea-kettle" refineries (hydro-skimmers was the correct name)
were inefficient and could not produce gasoline to current govt. required
recipes... without huge investment in equipment.

Cutting 10% of refinery production in the U.S. does not appear to me to
much of a big deal to Osama and his cronies. Think nuclear explosion in
Bayonne harbor or a "dirty" bomb in D.C. or L.A. as a more pausible goal.
If we could just arrange to have all the lawyers, finger waggers and
head-nodders in that one place at the same time, we might actually benefit
from it in the long run.

Rgds, George Macdonald

"Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean you're not psychotic" - Who, me??

 

(Brubl69) spake unto the masses in

The political situation is not the same now as then.

In 1971, Nixon had imposed price controls at the wellhead. US wells shut
down overnight. By 1973, much of American oil came from outside US borders.
It so happened that the Arabs that ran OPEC saw an opportunity to punish
the US for its involvement in the Middle East, and they decided to turn off
the taps to raise prices.

Unless trade restrictions or price controls are imposed, or unless
environmental regulations are substantially tightened, there will be no gas
shortage.

 

On 23 Feb 2004 12:34:15 GMT, "Tegger®"

| (Brubl69) spake unto the masses in
||
|> It seeems like everyone is predicting a gasoline shortage is going to
|> become the new big national security problem. I remember the issue in
|> 1974 was the Cutlass got bad mileage and had a big tank.
|
|
|The political situation is not the same now as then.
|
|In 1971, Nixon had imposed price controls at the wellhead. US wells shut
|down overnight. By 1973, much of American oil came from outside US borders.
|It so happened that the Arabs that ran OPEC saw an opportunity to punish
|the US for its involvement in the Middle East, and they decided to turn off
|the taps to raise prices.
|
|Unless trade restrictions or price controls are imposed, or unless
|environmental regulations are substantially tightened, there will be no gas
|shortage.

We are now competing with China on the world oil market.
China is building cars at an unprecedented rate. Something like 200,000 cars
per month (Can that be right?) We are also competing on steel, for the same
reason - building cars. Steel prices have already shot up this year.
Rex in Fort Worth