What Happens When There’s No Diesel?

 

While Biden is throwing a small-sized milk-bone to give some financial relief by trying to get banks to wave “junk banking fees,” which may buy another carton of eggs, another crisis is on the doorstep.  Yahoo News reports that the US has only 25 more days left of diesel fuel.

25 days of diesel supply left, according to the Energy Information Administration. National Economic Council Director Brian Deese told Bloomberg TV that diesel inventories are “unacceptably low” and “all options are on the table” to bolster supply and reduce prices. However, even as the stockpiles are being drained, the Biden administration seems to be left with very few sustainable options for long-term relief.

Since the world doesn’t really run on Dunkin’, what does this mean and what is being done about it?  Let’s equate it to 25 days of cash left in your account, 25 days of needed medicines, 25 days left of food, and … toilet paper? I’m not trying to lessen the seriousness of this news, but if I don’t try to find a tidbit of joking disbelief, I may cry in my last bowl of soup with real meat in it.

So what will happen if there is a major diesel shortage? Is this part of the Green Movement to force needed fuels out of our reach — that make our economy and society function?

That ringing in your ears are alarm bells. This administration is making poor energy policies and the rest of us even poorer. Vote accordingly.

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  1. Douglas Pratt Coolidge
    Douglas Pratt
    @DouglasPratt

    Vote accordingly, and stock up on staples.

    • #1
  2. BDB Inactive
    BDB
    @BDB

    Anybody know what the normal reserve is in days?

    • #2
  3. The Scarecrow Thatcher
    The Scarecrow
    @TheScarecrow

    And remember, the trucks that bring the gasoline to gas stations run on diesel.

    • #3
  4. DrewInWisconsin, Oik Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Oik
    @DrewInWisconsin

    You’d think our Transportation Secretary would be on the case.

    • #4
  5. BDB Inactive
    BDB
    @BDB

    The Scarecrow (View Comment):

    And remember, the trucks that bring the gasoline to gas stations run on diesel.

    Food and clothing, too.  The locomotives which move non-pipeline fuels also run on diesel.  This administration is attacking the base of Maslow’s pyramid.

    • #5
  6. MWD B612 "Dawg" Member
    MWD B612 "Dawg"
    @danok1

    BDB (View Comment):

    Anybody know what the normal reserve is in days?

    Excellent question. We don’t know if this portends crisis if we don’t know what the usual reserve is.

    • #6
  7. BDB Inactive
    BDB
    @BDB

    MWD B612 "Dawg" (View Comment):

    BDB (View Comment):

    Anybody know what the normal reserve is in days?

    Excellent question. We don’t know if this portends crisis if we don’t know what the usual reserve is.

    There is that one quote from that one guy in the OP, but it would be nice to have facts to accompany Mr. Quoted Guy’s opinion.

    • #7
  8. MWD B612 "Dawg" Member
    MWD B612 "Dawg"
    @danok1

    BDB (View Comment):

    MWD B612 "Dawg" (View Comment):

    BDB (View Comment):

    Anybody know what the normal reserve is in days?

    Excellent question. We don’t know if this portends crisis if we don’t know what the usual reserve is.

    There is that one quote from that one guy in the OP, but it would be nice to have facts to accompany Mr. Quoted Guy’s opinion.

    The only thing I could find in the article was:

    New England’s stockpiles have been depleted to less than a third of its usual levels for this time of year, which is concerning since those states rely on fuel for heating more than other parts of the country.

    Of course, the article fails to say what the current NE reserve is, or much of anything else. The editors should have sent this back to the reporter asking for more details. 

    But then the article might not have been so alarming.

    • #8
  9. BDB Inactive
    BDB
    @BDB

    Been poking around with charts here:

    https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/PET_STOC_WSTK_DCU_NUS_W.htm

    Can’t figger diesel directly, but our TOTAL holdings of crude and petro products including what’s in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) are at the lowest since 2005, while our crude oil SPR is at its lowest since 1985.

    • #9
  10. David Foster Member
    David Foster
    @DavidFoster

    Relevant article from Transport Topics, which is mainly a trucking-industry publication.

     

    • #10
  11. Front Seat Cat Member
    Front Seat Cat
    @FrontSeatCat

    “The U.S. is set to receive at least two ships carrying a total of some 90,000 metric tons of diesel and jet fuel that have been diverted from their original destinations in Europe to the East Coast, as reported by Reuters on October 14. The diesel is arriving from the United Arab Emirates.”  https://www.newsweek.com/us-only-has-just-days-diesel-left-before-supply-runs-out-1754851

    The story being reported in Newsweek says two ships are being diverted from Europe to US East Coast with diesel?  

    Prediction: It will be blamed on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and everyone must sacrifice………

    • #11
  12. BDB Inactive
    BDB
    @BDB

    Front Seat Cat (View Comment):

    “The U.S. is set to receive at least two ships carrying a total of some 90,000 metric tons of diesel and jet fuel that have been diverted from their original destinations in Europe to the East Coast, as reported by Reuters on October 14. The diesel is arriving from the United Arab Emirates.” https://www.newsweek.com/us-only-has-just-days-diesel-left-before-supply-runs-out-1754851

    The story being reported in Newsweek says two ships are being diverted from Europe to US East Coast with diesel?

    Prediction: It will be blamed on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and everyone must sacrifice………

    Things like this will certainly drive a wedge of resentment right down the Atlantic.  “Hang in there Europe!  We’re all in this together!”  Then we outbid them  for the offshore replacements for their missing Russian gas.

    • #12
  13. DrewInWisconsin, Oik Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Oik
    @DrewInWisconsin

    • #13
  14. DrewInWisconsin, Oik Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Oik
    @DrewInWisconsin

    BDB (View Comment):

    Front Seat Cat (View Comment):

    “The U.S. is set to receive at least two ships carrying a total of some 90,000 metric tons of diesel and jet fuel that have been diverted from their original destinations in Europe to the East Coast, as reported by Reuters on October 14. The diesel is arriving from the United Arab Emirates.” https://www.newsweek.com/us-only-has-just-days-diesel-left-before-supply-runs-out-1754851

    The story being reported in Newsweek says two ships are being diverted from Europe to US East Coast with diesel?

    Prediction: It will be blamed on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and everyone must sacrifice………

    Things like this will certainly drive a wedge of resentment right down the Atlantic. “Hang in the Europe! We’re all in this together!” Then we outbid them for the offshore replacements for their missing Russian gas.

    And if it’s true that the U.S. blew the pipelines (as Polish MP Radek Sikorsky Tweeted, and then later deleted — perhaps at the request of his wife), then I think that wedge will be nearly impossible to repair.

    • #14
  15. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    Front Seat Cat: What Happens If There’s No Diesel?

    The short answer?  No food . . .

    • #15
  16. Front Seat Cat Member
    Front Seat Cat
    @FrontSeatCat

    DrewInWisconsin, Oik (View Comment):

    Wow! There it is – he all but said it’s a political and dangerous stunt to have our reserves so low….

    • #16
  17. DrewInWisconsin, Oik Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Oik
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Front Seat Cat (View Comment):

    DrewInWisconsin, Oik (View Comment):

    Wow! There it is – he all but said it’s a political and dangerous stunt to have our reserves so low….

    I mean, he’s right. But imagine the leverage the Saudis now have over the U.S. since we’re TOO STUPID to increase production here.

    • #17
  18. BDB Inactive
    BDB
    @BDB

    DrewInWisconsin, Oik (View Comment):

    We’ve gone from Trump warning Europe about their dangerous energy stupidity to the friggin SAUDIS warning us about our dangerous energy stupidity.

     

    • #18
  19. DrewInWisconsin, Oik Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Oik
    @DrewInWisconsin

    BDB (View Comment):

    DrewInWisconsin, Oik (View Comment):

    We’ve gone from Trump warning Europe about their dangerous energy stupidity to the friggin SAUDIS warning us about our dangerous energy stupidity.

    Nicely concisely said.

    • #19
  20. JoelB Member
    JoelB
    @JoelB

    No diesel? Let them drive electric trucks. 

    • #20
  21. Hugh Member
    Hugh
    @Hugh

    They can solve this problem by releasing more oil from the strategic reserve

    (exits whistling)

    • #21
  22. Paul Stinchfield Member
    Paul Stinchfield
    @PaulStinchfield

    More details at this link, including a chart showing a 15-year history of diesel supply levels.

    • #22
  23. Nohaaj Coolidge
    Nohaaj
    @Nohaaj

    Paul Stinchfield (View Comment):

    More details at this link, including a chart showing a 15-year history of diesel supply levels.

    Thanks Paul, I was just going to link to that same article. 

    • #23
  24. MWD B612 "Dawg" Member
    MWD B612 "Dawg"
    @danok1

    Paul Stinchfield (View Comment):

    More details at this link, including a chart showing a 15-year history of diesel supply levels.

    Thanks for this. Looks like it is indeed a crisis.

    • #24
  25. DrewInWisconsin, Oik Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Oik
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Now that I’m reading about heating oil rationing in the Northeast, I’m beginning to wonder if I should do a fill right now. (I usually need two or three every winter. I haven’t done my first yet because my tank has a nice amount leftover from last winter, and I need to get lower before I add the required minimum for a delivery.)

     

    • #25
  26. Nohaaj Coolidge
    Nohaaj
    @Nohaaj

    Front Seat Cat (View Comment):

    “The U.S. is set to receive at least two ships carrying a total of some 90,000 metric tons of diesel and jet fuel that have been diverted from their original destinations in Europe to the East Coast, as reported by Reuters on October 14. The diesel is arriving from the United Arab Emirates.” https://www.newsweek.com/us-only-has-just-days-diesel-left-before-supply-runs-out-1754851

    The story being reported in Newsweek says two ships are being diverted from Europe to US East Coast with diesel?

    Prediction: It will be blamed on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and everyone must sacrifice………

    perspective:

    90,000 metric tons of diesel converts to approx 645,000 barrels of fuel. 

    In 2021, the U.S. transportation sector alone consumed 46.82 billion gallons, or 1.11 billion barrels of distillate fuel (essentially diesel fuel) — at an average of about 128 million gallons a day.

    So these two ships will provide less than 5 hours worth of fuel for the transportation industry. 

    LOL We are screwed.  It is sad that Newsweek thinks these two ships’ cargo has any significance. 

    • #26
  27. Douglas Pratt Coolidge
    Douglas Pratt
    @DouglasPratt

    Stad (View Comment):

    Front Seat Cat: What Happens If There’s No Diesel?

    The short answer? No food . . .

    Or toilet paper.

    • #27
  28. Nohaaj Coolidge
    Nohaaj
    @Nohaaj

    DrewInWisconsin, Oik (View Comment):

    Now that I’m reading about heating oil rationing in the Northeast, I’m beginning to wonder if I should do a fill right now. (I usually need two or three every winter. I haven’t done my first yet because my tank has a nice amount leftover from last winter, and I need to get lower before I add the required minimum for a delivery.)

     

    Yes.

    I added an additional 250G tank to my property this Summer, primarily for tractor fuel.  Sadly, I only put a 100 G in the tractor fuel tank, and had my two heating fuel tanks topped off at the same time.  The tractor fuel is about half gone, but the house tanks are still quite full, as we just recently and sparingly started using the heat.

    I have to consume more before I can ask for a delivery – because of minimums.  I hope that when I need it, it will still be available and that I can afford it. 

    • #28
  29. DrewInWisconsin, Oik Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Oik
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Nohaaj (View Comment):
    I have to consume more before I can ask for a delivery – because of minimums.  I hope that when I need it, it will still be available and that I can afford it. 

    Yep. That’s where I’m at. Trying to hit it when price is low and supply is adequate.

    • #29
  30. Hugh Member
    Hugh
    @Hugh

    Time to change your investment strategy….

    Buy sweaters.

    • #30
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