Could a fuel shortage in Alberta due to the Fort McMurray wildfire lead to BC pumps running dry?
Posted June 3, 2016 7:26 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – A shortage of fuel out of Alberta because of the Fort McMurray wildfire could soon drive up gas prices here in BC.
Some pumps in Kelowna as of this morning are already bone dry. And there are concerns we here on the Lower Mainland could soon be in a similar situation.
This is all happening because Suncor, which is one of the main supplies in the west, isn’t producing right now because of the fire.
Dan McTeague with GasBuddy.com says no one saw this coming because refineries in Canada don’t provide updates on their output until it’s too late. He adds it has taken gas stations and drivers by surprise.
“We are also dealing in an era when American drivers are posting record demand and consumption for gasoline. It means there is a chance for higher volatility. [You should] gas up now because you never know what’s going to happen tomorrow.”
“We do need to know week to week the supply and demand picture. I think it gives the market a much clearer understanding of what’s going on. It’s more transparency for consumers and for analysts to be able to at least assist where those companies need help.”
Here in Metro Vancouver, you may have noticed gas did go up a bit overnight; McTeague thinks there will be another jump at the pump this weekend — by at least a couple of cents by tomorrow morning.
