Has anyone heard anything about withdrawals from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve? Prior to rollover, it was reported on worldnetdaily (and other e-media) that the reserve was being quietly filled to capacity...some 450 million barrels, as I recall. This would supposedly represent a thirty day supply for US consumption. Any news of late on this?

Secondly, is there any news on coal? Many power plants use coal, and of course, railroads are crucial to delivery. I'm just thinking out loud here.....

-- Craig (sofpj@netscape.net), January 19, 2000

Answers

There seems to be quite a few foreign oil refineries down. Although we have not felt the effect of this yet because so much oil was stockpiled prior to rollover, it seems to me that it is just a question of time before the effects will be felt at the gas station. Venezuela is one of the largest oil producers to supply the U.S. and they don't seem to know when they will be back in production. I haven't heard anything on coal or the railroads but there is plenty of bad news out there about the oil refineries.

-- Brenda McSwigan (jimandbrenda@sprintmail.com), January 19, 2000.

Coal deliveries around Ohio seem slower. Working off all the trainloads shuttling in December? This is a pretty flexible market with tons of small operators that can jump in when the price is high enough. No power problems in my area and Ohio has a heavy realiance on coal for power.

Train traffic does seem down but not absent.

-- Squid (ItsDark@down.here), January 19, 2000.

Squid:

They stage coal trains for CEI (sorry CENTERIOR) and LTV as far east as Euclid and points east. They have been pretty much on the same schedule as before. The trains MIGHT spend an extra day before they are gone.

chuck

-- Chuck, a night driver (rienzoo@en.com), January 20, 2000.