PRNewswire: Shell Provides Fuel Supply Update for Hurricane Rita Evacuees: Posted Saturday 24 Sept 2005
Press Release Source: Shell Oil Products US; Motiva Enterprises LLC
HOUSTON, Sept. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Shell Oil Products US (SOPUS) and Motiva Enterprises LLC, employees, along with their retailers and wholesalers, are working diligently to meet the gasoline needs of customers during the unprecedented circumstances of Hurricane Rita.
Areas that may be impacted by Hurricane Rita:
Currently, tanker drivers have been evacuated and all Motiva terminals have been closed in areas that may be impacted by Hurricane Rita. Shell has taken these precautions in an effort to ensure the safety of our employees and contractors as well as to help ensure facilities are secured and will remain in operational condition. Consequently, there will be no further fuel deliveries to Shell and Texaco-branded stations supplied by Motiva in the path of the Hurricane until it is safe to do so. These safeguards will help ensure that the facilities can be safely and quickly reopened once the storm passes. All efforts are being made to resume station deliveries as soon as possible with particular attention to the evacuation routes.
Other Texas Areas:
In other Texas cities to which people have evacuated, employee and tanker drivers continue to work diligently to make deliveries in an effort to keep up with consumer demand and to maintain supplies of Shell gasoline. Currently, Shell is experiencing gasoline run outs at some stations in Austin, San Antonio and Dallas due to the unprecedented consumer demand. Shell is working to fix this problem as quickly as possible by bringing in drivers and tankers from other markets. To help the situation Shell recommends that motorists conserve fuel wherever possible and avoid topping off tanks. The following are tips for conserving fuel:
Use alternative modes of transportation. Whenever possible, use carpools
or take public transportation. Also consider active transportation modes
such as bike riding, roller blading or walking.
Maintain regular refueling habits. Frequently topping off the tank is
not only unnecessary, but it also increases lines at the pump and
contributes to wasting fuel. Drivers can also significantly enhance fuel
economy through regular vehicle maintenance and smart driving techniques:
Plan trips carefully. Cutting down on the time spent in the car is the
easiest way to conserve fuel. To minimize driving time, experts
recommend combining all your short trips and errands.
If you must drive, please consider the following advice:
Keep tires properly inflated. Keeping tires at their proper air pressure
cuts down on the amount of fuel used while driving. Under-inflated tires
can decrease fuel economy by up to one mile per gallon.
Avoid high speeds. Reducing high speeds will cut down on fuel usage.
Fuel efficiency decreases significantly at speeds in excess of 60 miles
per hour. While driving on the highway, for example, reducing speed from
65 mph to 60 mph reduces fuel consumption by 10 percent.
Drive smoothly and avoid jackrabbit starts. Starting a vehicle abruptly
requires about twice as much gasoline as gradual starts. Take it slow
before accelerating at a stop sign or stoplight. Avoiding unnecessary
speedups, slow downs and stops can save as much as two miles per gallon.
Stay away from sudden braking by staying alert and driving steadily.
Keep a reasonable, safe distance from the car ahead of you and anticipate
traffic conditions.
Avoid excessive idling. Decreasing run time while the car is not moving
will increase gas conservation. Avoid excessive idling by turning off
your engine upon arriving at your destination or if you are delayed for
more than a couple of minutes. Drivers can also cut back on idling by
limiting warm-up time to one to three minutes.
Shell Oil Products US, a subsidiary of Shell Oil Company, is a leader in the refining, transportation and marketing of fuels, and has a network of nearly 7,200 branded gasoline stations in the Western United States. Shell Oil Company is a 50 percent owner of Motiva Enterprises LLC, along with Saudi Refining, Inc., which refines and markets branded products through 11,000 stations in the Eastern and Southern United States. Shell Oil Company is an affiliate of Shell Group of Companies. For more information, please visit www.shell.com.
QUESTIONS:
GCI Group Julie Law: 323/761-7405
Shell Oil Products US Shell Media Line: 713/241-4544
Anne Peebles: 281/874-8290 or 713/241-1584
Source: Shell Oil Products US; Motiva Enterprises LLC
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