Citgo Petroleum Corp. and Florida officials have warned that fuel sold at stations supplied by Citgo’s Tampa, Fla., terminal may be “contaminated,” complicating efforts by citizens preparing for a hurricane expected to hit the Gulf Coast later in the year. this week.
“It’s definitely not the right time for that to happen, especially before Tropical Storm Idalia,” Patrick de Haan, GasBuddy’s head of oil analysis, told MarketWatch. He said Tampa is a very big port. She receives a lot of produce for Florida, so “this is a huge headache.”
What happened?
In a press release issued late Sunday evening, Citgo says it has detected a ‘contaminated product’ at the Tampa, Fla., station on Saturday as a result of a “product routing issue.”
It also said that all Citgo marketers who “picked up petrol and diesel from the station between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. local time have been notified and requested that sales cease.” Citgo said a “limited number of retail locations were affected” and is working to remove the product from retail locations that I received it.
Separately, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) said Sunday that it had identified “potential large-scale fuel contamination due to human error in the Port of Tampa.”
He. She Post a list of potentially affected stations on XIt warned that any fuel purchased after 10 am on Saturday 26 August from those stations has a “strong potential for contamination”. with diesel fuel.
rarity
De Haan said such situations have happened in the past, but they are “very rare”.
It was an issue for the retailer that sold the contaminated fuel, he said, but in general the gas station, Citgo, would be “responsible”, meaning if anyone needed repairs, those repairs would be covered.
The good news is that once the polluted fuel is collected, “it can essentially be re-separated into usable products,” de Haan said. “So, it’s not like they’re going to take the fuel and dump it. They’re going to basically refinish it.
What happens to my car?
If your car has been affected by contaminated fuel, de Haan said, you may experience some engine problems, depending on how contaminated the fuel is.
“We don’t know what the contamination is – whether it’s 100% diesel fuel or simply diesel contamination, but people will generally notice engine problems, drivability problems because of the polluted fuel,” he added.
He said those affected should stop driving immediately and consider having the car towed to a mechanic. The mechanic may decide to drain the tank but generally it “shouldn’t be a catastrophic problem”. It is definitely a “very big inconvenience”.
The FDA has opened a consumer hotline to receive complaints from affected consumers. Those who believe they sold tainted gasoline can file a complaint by calling 1-800-HELP-FLA, or going online at fdacs.gov.
Meanwhile, Citgo said consumers who believe they purchased tainted fuel on or after Saturday, August 26, can file a claim through the Citgo Good Gas Guarantee Program at https://www.citgo.com/contact-us.
A bad time
The issue of polluting fuel could not have come at a worse time.
“Maybe a lot of people are evacuating the area, so that’s definitely not a good thing,” de Haan said.
As of Monday morning, the center of Tropical Storm Idalia is expected to move over the far southeastern Gulf of Mexico by early Tuesday and reach Florida’s Gulf Coast on Wednesday. According to the National Hurricane Center. The storm is expected to become a hurricane later Monday and become a “dangerously large hurricane” over the northeastern Gulf of Mexico by early Wednesday.
“Typical beer advocate. Future teen idol. Unapologetic tv practitioner. Music trailblazer.”
More Stories
Coinbase’s revenue rose 72% to $1.6 billion, beating analysts’ expectations
Scott Sheffield: The American oil tycoon is accused of trying to conspire with OPEC to inflate prices
Stocks rise as fears of a Fed rate hike fade, with Apple in the lead