Reports of widespread gas hoarding have contributed to many North Texas gas stations running low — or out — of fuel in the last 48 hours.
An attendant at a 7-Eleven at Mustang Drive and Ira E. Woods Boulevard in Grapevine said one man spent more than $600 on regular gasoline Thursday by filling up his truck, a large barrel and two small gas cans.
Another man told NBC 5 Responds’ Wayne Carter that he had to endure booing and name calling when he filled up three gas canisters in addition to his car.
“Just in case,” said the man, who did not give his name, when asked why he brought the cans. “In case I need gas or the tankers don’t get here fast enough.”
Demand has far exceeded the supply of fuel all across Dallas-Fort Worth this week, due in large part to multiple Texas Gulf Coast refineries shutting down or slowing production in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.
In addition, fuel suppliers from the Gulf have struggled to deliver fuel to the Metroplex because of logistical concerns like flooded highways.
But that situation should improve over the coming days, according to Fred Sloan, the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of TACenergy, a Dallas-based independent wholesale fuels distributor.
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"What's going to happen is that everybody that's filled up the gas in their automobiles won't need any fuel on Saturday or Sunday and there will be this big drop off in demand over the next few days,” Sloan said. “The resupply is definitely on the way, and if everyone calms down and lets the process take place, there's long haul trucking coming from east Texas, Oklahoma to feed into our region.”
