Milford chronicle., 1947-12-05
FUEL OIL MAYBE
SCARCE THIS WINTER

Despite the Federal Governments
release of additional tankers and
the widespread additional efforts
of the oil industry to improve the
situation regarding fuel oil and
other petroleum products, it is
doubtful that the East Coast re-
quirements will be completely met
this winter.
The situation will be even more
serious should the weather prove
severe and should householders,
motorists and other users of petrol
cum products fail to cooperate in
spreading the available supply.
These are highlights of detailed
official report on the supply-de-
mand situation regarding oil pro-
ducts which has just been compile
ted by the American Petroleum In
stitute and technical officials re-
presenting the more than $4,000
companies in the industry.
The report was made public To-
cally by Mr.. H. r. Phillips, Milford,
in his capacity as Sussex County
( Committee Member of the Oil In
dustry's Public Relations Commit
tee.
The study, one of the most COM
plete ever made on the subject,
bristles upon outside sources of
supply. Much of this supply reaches
the Atlantic Coast by water and the
prolonged strike at ship-repair
yards along the Atlantic seaboard
raised havoc with the tanker fleet.
Other difficulties in the transporta-
ton situation have been caused by
: the inability of the industry to OBJ
!, tain sufficient amounts of steel,
electrical equipment to construct
new facilities, such as tank cars,
tank trucks adequate to meet the
unprecedented demand.
: There will be some relief result
. ing from the widespread coopera-
tion which has been received from
public officials and others to keep
open the inland waterways for
longer periods of time this winter
: thus greatly relieving the over
r burdened tank trucks.
Nationally, the transportation de-
ficiency has been reflected sharply
: in the stock position of the four ma
r jor products-gasoline, kerosene
+ light and heavy fuel oils. AS of Oc-
tober 81, the inventory of these pro-
, ducts was between 8 and 10 millior
I barrels less than it was year pre-
i vious.
On the other hand, there is one
I bright spot in the East Coast fue
:, picture, where there is substantial
evidence that householders have
I followed the suggestion that the!
y fill their tanks to relieve industr!
D shortages in storage facilities. Lo
cal dealers and distributors also ap
pear to have larger stocks on hanC
Z In the Eastern United States thai
q they had year ago. The official re
port states: 'It is hoped that tn,
equivalent of these increased am
cunts in secondary storage can b
E retained for use during the peal
period of demand, which usual,
u comes in this area in February. TIL
S sum of these two additional inven
e tories probably represents only
O small offset to the known deficit a
refineries and terminals"
The report contains a four-poin
e plan outlining how the public ca
s cooperate with the industry, unde
: temporary conditions of maladjust
, ment, 10 stretch the available sup
- plies and make the most of existin
). transportation facilities. 1t include
II % driving in more conservativ
Y manner and taking good care c
n automobiles; (2) filling and keepin
. filled fuel oil tanks for use at pea
u demand; (3) maintaining moderat
temperatures in homes during thi
" heating season; (4) checking o
+ burners now in use. many of whic
- are Outmodeled. and which are cor
Z suming much more fuel than the
IL should.
)e This years demand on the Amer
& can Oil industry. the report show
~ will be at new records higher tha
in the peak war year and 1I3 gre;
dl ter than in 1941, the last pre-ws
year. The estimated requiremeI
l- for 1947 is 5S2 gallons for eac
6 man, woman, and child in the couI
- try. Various factors have contr
y buted. There are nearly 5000 ,O(
J. more automobiles on the highway
&c than a year ago. The postwar d.
ii mands of the armed services fl
194S are estimated at seven time
their requirements for 1898. tt