SAN ANTONIO – Recent headlines regarding a cyberattack on the U.S. Colonial oil pipeline have caused Texans to take to Google, wondering if the attack will affect the availability of gas in our state.
The short answer is no, there is not a gas shortage in Texas.
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According to Google analytics, the search for “gas shortage Texas” jumped 2,800% in the last 24 hours.
“The bottom line is there is plenty of supply of gasoline in San Antonio, in Texas and across the U.S.,” AAA senior public affairs specialist Joshua Zuber told KSAT.
For reference, the Colonial Pipeline delivers roughly 45% of the fuel used along the Eastern Seaboard, according to the Associated Press.
Zuber shared AAA’s official statement on the Colonial Pipeline situation which notes that there will be varying impacts on gasoline supply and pump prices across the country the longer the pipeline is offline, but the company said “these situations are temporary and are not shortages. It is important to know there is ample gas supply in the United States.”
Zuber said “AAA expects areas from Mississippi and Tennessee to Georgia and Delaware to likely experience limited fuel availability and price increases of three to seven cents as early as this week,” but also noted that “It is just a matter of getting deliveries to stations to meet demand. Other areas of the country will see little impact.”
Allison Mac, a representative with GasBuddy also told KSAT there will be “no gas shortage in Texas. The pipeline being down has zero impact on Texas.”
Oil and refined products analyst Patrick De Haan shared a tweet Tuesday that shows figures relating to a certain percentage of gas stations without gas in several states.
Latest figures of % of stations without fuel:
— Patrick De Haan ⛽️📊 (@GasBuddyGuy) May 11, 2021
GA 3.76% of 6368 stations
AL 0.43% of 3682
TN 0.03% of 4007
SC 1.71% of 3084
NC 5.42% of 5372
FL 2.48% of 7562
VA 7.5% of 3880
Currently, the website for the Colonial Pipeline appears to be down.
The statement released from Colonial Pipeline Monday reads:
While this situation remains fluid and continues to evolve, the Colonial operations team is executing a plan that involves an incremental process that will facilitate a return to service in a phased approach. This plan is based on a number of factors with safety and compliance driving our operational decisions, and the goal of substantially restoring operational service by the end of the week. The Company will provide updates as restoration efforts progress.