28 Feb 2014
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Soaring Gas Prices Hit East Coast Hard
posted by Unknown @ 07:50 0 Comments
Record-setting cold weather has brought propane supplies
down to their lowest levels in decades.
For those living on the East Coast, this means soaring gas prices. But cold weather is not the only
culprit. A 94-year-old law is also
sticking it to consumers.
As new supplies of gas come flowing out of Texas fields, the
Jones Act,
which prohibits non-US cargo ships from delivering goods from one US port to
another, means people on the East Coast are forced to buy what they need from
Europe. The problem? That means they can be paying as much as $100
per metric ton more.
“It’s kind of a crazy thing, where we’re sending ships to
Europe and then in return, at some point in time, Europe is sending propane
cargoes back to us,” says Peter Fasullo of EnVantage Inc. in Houston, Texas “You
have to think, isn’t there a more efficient way of doing this?”
The lack of organization is just another example of how the
shale boom in the US ,
while producing at record levels, is unable to get that product to market. Enterprise
Products Partners in Houston
believes now is the time to revisit the Jones Act.
The Jones Act
The Jones Act is also having an adverse effect on US
jobs. Vessel owners, American shipyards,
and labor unions alike all agree. The
demand for propane has skyrocketed this winter, and while the supply is
abundant, producers have simply outrun transporters. Quite simply, the pipelines are full.
Of those 3 percent of consumers who use propane as their
main source for heating on the East Coast, they are expecting to pay as much as
$206 more on average. That’s a spike of
11 percent.
Stockpiles of propane have dipped down to 1.6 million
barrels for the region. That’s the
lowest they’ve been since 1994, this according to the EIA.
Levels reached 1.68 million barrels last week and are dropping fast.
Fixing the problem
“If you didn't have the Jones Act, you could have had this thing resolved pretty easily by moving product off theA look at the numbers says it all. As of Feb. 24, the price for a ton of propane in
Compare that to the price for a ton of propane coming from
Reasons for the Jones Act
The Jones Act was first signed into law back in 1920 and requires that all cargo moving from oneUS authorities did try and free up the flow of the much-needed propane by ordering companies like
“We have wanted Jones Act waivers for ships from
According to the US Maritime Administration, a government agency, the Jones Act has not been a factor when it comes to depleted supply in the US Northeast.
What about emergency waivers?
“Both US-flag
and non-U.S.-flag vessels were fully employed,” says Kim Strong, spokeswoman for
the Maritime Administration. “The Jones
Act supports US-flag vessel operators, US mariners, and US shipyards vital to
this country’s economic and national security.”
Waivers for
the Jones Act have been issued before.
In the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, non-US-flagged vessels were
permitted to deliver much-needed crude oil supply from America ’s Gulf Coast to the
Northeast on non-US registered ships.
The recent
oil and gas boom in the United
States has made the country more self-sufficient
when it comes to energy. In fact, recent
data shows that America supplied 86
percent of its own energy in the first 11 months of 2013. That’s the highest percentage since 1986.
In the last
four years, products from petroleum and natural gas have increased by 39
percent. In 2012, the USA even became
a net exporter of fuel.
Rising
exports
Between 2009
and 2013, US exports of fuel more than tripled.
In the first seven weeks of 2014, exports have averaged 373 mbopd. At the same time, the country as a whole is
adding more exports. The American East Coast has increased its need for imports
to 73 mbopd.
“We were shipping propane out of the south side and bringing it in on the
north side. It’s ridiculous,” says Bill Smith, a wholesale fuel purchaser. “The Jones Act, which is the most stupid law
ever on books, was good for its time, but it’s a little out of date.”Among industry insiders, it’s hard to find any who believe the Jones Act should remain intact in its current form. At the least, the law should be revisited and retailored to fit today’s changing energy landscape. Few however see that happening anytime soon given the current political climate in
“There’s going to come a point where things have to change,” says Charlie Papavizas, a partner and specialist in maritime law at Winston and Strawn LLP. “There’s going to be so much oil and so much gas, it’s like a tidal wave of issues. But for the foreseeable future I don’t see the law changing.”
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