Fuel Fears Over Giant Refinery Strike
Think the price at the pump is climbing (around $3.60/gal my neck of the woods)?
Just wait …
Motorists have been told not to panic after talks aimed at averting a strike by oil workers broke down.
A two-day strike by up to 1,200 workers at the giant Grangemouth refinery in Scotland will now go ahead on Sunday and Monday.
Officials from Unite met for the past two days with bosses from Ineos, which owns the refinery, at the conciliation service Acas.
But the union announced the talks had failed to find a breakthrough in a dispute over pensions.
The strike has been called in protest at plans by Ineos to close its final salary pension scheme to new workers and to make other changes to its pensions.
A union spokesman said: “Unite’s negotiators were disappointed with the company’s refusal to withdraw controversial pensions plans and therefore the two-day strike will go ahead.”
The AA, Britain’s largest motoring organisation, said motorists should not panic, despite the talks breaking down.
Paul Watters, the AA’s head of public affairs, said: “I think motorists in Scotland are going to be wondering what on earth is going to happen, but there still is no reason for people to panic.
“We have to put our trust in the petroleum industry to keep Scotland’s pumps filled. They have said they can do that and the proof of the pudding will play out over the next week or so.”
Ineos said it now had no option but to completely shut down the Grangemouth site to make sure it was safe during the 48-hour strike.
Meanwhile, filling stations have been urged not to cash in on the fuel shortage fears.
The plea came after a garage in Kirkcaldy, Fife, charged £1.45 for diesel and £1.25 for unleaded petrol.
It has since brought its prices down but is still asking £1.30 for a litre of diesel and £1.20 for petrol.
The Scottish Motor Trade Association said any filling station that suddenly upped its prices by four or five pence was almost certainly profiteering.
MEANWHILE:
Oil giant Shell has announced it is to axe 180 jobs in its North Sea operations.
Be respectful of others and their opinions. Inflammatory remarks and inane leftist drivel will be deleted. It ain’t about free speech, remember you’re in a private domain. My website, my prerogative.
If you can't handle using your real email address, don't bother posting a comment.
1.45 BP is about 2.88 in USD.
April 23rd, 2008 at 6:04 pmThis is ridiculous, why don’t we hear about the deal for oil that Iraq owes us for this war? and why do we hear about other countries getting to make deals before us?
April 23rd, 2008 at 6:06 pmlets see 50.00/barrel oil for the US for the next 10 years and contracts with our oil companies to help get the oil infrastructure built. That should do it.
And thats a per liter price.
Great job drill.
April 23rd, 2008 at 6:09 pm$1.20 x 3.78 = $4.53/gal us
me.
April 23rd, 2008 at 6:22 pmand the Dems keep screaming no war for oil out one side of their mouths and feed the poor out of the other side of their mouths. If they could just do the math you’d think that they would realize that feeding the poor takes lower oil prices,
so HEY let’s pull out of Iraq. just
That’s still cheaper than a pint of Guinness.
April 23rd, 2008 at 6:24 pmIts chaeper because these people mine their own resources despite their large Green Party membership.
In this country the courts and Congress have given the tree-huggers a hecklers veto which has lasted since the Peanuthead administration.
Even the tree-huggers in Canada allow the Canadian govt to mine their own resources (Canada is our #1 importer of oil.)
So what’s the problem US government? In other countries are able to mine their resources because it is a national priority. Have we gone soft in the head as a nation? Or is everyone in government hitting the weed?
April 23rd, 2008 at 6:57 pmOOPS 1.20 BP is X 1.97 = 2.36 us / liter X 3.78
(conv to gal) = 8.92 / US GAL
HOLY COW $8.92 per gallon
Glad I caught that otherwise I’d be the dumb dem.
rightangle Does your car run on guiness?
April 23rd, 2008 at 7:38 pmTo Dan(The Infidel) Hard as it is, I was trying to look on the bright side in this gloom. From what little I have learned about the oil industry lately, it’s that deep pockets rule. I don’t claim one way or another as to the exact supply of oil, but obviously availability of refined is getting worse. I recall in 2005 Chinese National Offshore something or other (CNOOC) made a ridiculously (at the time) buyout offer for American owned UNOCAL. Washington did in fact get concerned to the point that they ended up merging with Chevron. I wish I knew exactly how futures and buying up contracts/drilling rights worked, but it is my understanding that todays dollars yeild tomorrows barrels.
April 23rd, 2008 at 8:30 pm