Reuters: Shell says Houston pumps run dry as folks flee Rita: “Oil giant Royal Dutch Shell Plc said its stations in the Houston area of Texas had run out of fuel, as thousands of people swarmed highways to escape the approach of Hurricane Rita.”: Friday 23 Sep 2005

LONDON, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Oil giant Royal Dutch Shell Plc <RDSa.L><RDSb.L> said its stations in the Houston area of Texas had run out of fuel, as thousands of people swarmed highways to escape the approach of Hurricane Rita.

"We are experiencing product run-outs at Shell-branded stations in the Houston area ... We are making every effort to navigate current road conditions and deliver gasoline in a safe and efficient manner," the Anglo-Dutch firm said in a statement.

Shell Oil Products US and Shell's Motiva joint venture with Saudi Refining Inc. form the largest fuel retail group in the U.S. in terms of volume, market share, and total number of service stations, Shell said on its website.

It was unclear if all or just some of Shell's Houston stations had run out of fuel.

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