Mansfield Energy, a fuel supplier, said a shortage of diesel fuel may be in store for parts of the country, according to news reports.
The alert, issued on October 25, stated:
“Poor pipeline shipping economics and historically low diesel inventories are combining to cause shortages in various markets throughout the Southeast. These have been occurring sporadically, with areas like Tennessee seeing particularly acute challenges.”
The company cited “rapidly devolving” conditions and market economics, and suggested ongoing volatility.
In an analysis of the situation, posted October 31, a Mansfield report suggested that tight supply will push up prices, which will in turn push some out of the market. The result, the report said, “at the local…level, supply will be available for those for whom diesel is a business critical priority.”
A report on FoxBusiness.com cited government statistics that the United States had “only 25 days of reserve diesel supply, a low not seen since 2008.”
