City Experiences Gas Shortage

Little plastic bags hang over several San Angelo gas pumps at various stations throughout town due to trucking delays caused by Wednesday’s weather. At least one Stripes store and three 7-11s have been affected by the shortage, and the Exxon on Koenigheim is anticipating running out of regular within the next hour.

Pete Galvan, assistant manager of the Exxon at 2 N. Koenigheim St. said his station receives gas from plants in Abilene, San Antonio and Odessa, and since the storms a couple of weeks ago and the one this week, delivery has slowed.

“Truck drivers, a lot of the stations where they fill up stuff are behind as far as damages and stuff done to the plants where they load up,” Galvan said. “It’s just truck driving running on a delay right now. It had to do with the weather in Abilene.”

Galvan said he’s not sure when he’ll be receiving the next refill, but says that at least for the next hour he’ll have regular gas and believes the other Exxon stations do as well.

An employee of the 7-11 on Pierce expounded on the matter, stating that the refinery the company uses is currently down for maintenance. “We’ve been out for over a week,” she said. “We’ve been out since last Wednesday.”

The associate mentioned three 7-11 locations with closed pumps, including the 1801 S. Pierce, the 1719 Kenwood and the 3221 Southwest Blvd. locations. She said she didn’t know when the gas will be refilled, however said that merchandise sales have not been affected.

According to reports from various convenience store employees, the issues in Abilene have forced outsourcing for the stations’ fuel needs, and those with the lowest supplies report receiving their fill from Odessa.

Those currently with plenty of petrol include Walmart, HEB and the Star Stop, however a comprehensive, citywide inventory has not been conducted.