posted a list of potentially impacted stations on X<\/a>, and warned that any fuel purchased after 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 26 from those stations has a \u201cstrong likelihood of being contaminated\u201d with diesel fuel.<\/p>\nRarity<\/h2>\n
De Haan said situations like this have happened in the past, but are \u201cvery rare.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe supply chain for fuels has many quality checks as fuel moves from production facilities to retail outlets,\u201d said Brian Milne, product manager, editor, and analyst at DTN. \u201cEvery time fuel changes hands, there is testing and documentation to ensure the fuel meets appropriate specifications.\u201d<\/p>\n
The mention of \u201chuman error\u201d suggests someone made an error that \u201cfouled the fuel,\u201d he told MarketWatch. <\/p>\n
De Haan said it\u2019s problematic for the retailer that sold that contaminated fuel, but generally the gas station, Citgo, will be \u201cliable,\u201d meaning if anyone needs repairs, those repairs will be covered. <\/p>\n
The good news is that once the contaminated fuel is collected, \u201cit can be essentially re-separated into usable products,\u201d said De Haan. \u201cSo it\u2019s not like they\u2019re just going to be taking the fuel and throwing it out. They will be essentially re-refining it.\u201d<\/p>\n
What happens to my car?<\/h2>\n
If your vehicle is affected by the contaminated fuel, it may experience some engine issues, depending on how contaminated the fuel is, said De Haan.<\/p>\n
We don\u2019t know the ratio of contamination \u2014 whether it was 100% diesel fuel or simply contaminated with diesel but \u201cpeople will generally notice engine issues, drivability issues because of the contaminated fuel,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
He said those impacted should stop driving immediately and look into having the vehicle towed to a mechanic. The mechanic may decide to drain the tank but generally, it \u201cshould not be a catastrophic issue.\u201d It certainly is a \u201cvery significant inconvenience.\u201d<\/p>\n
The FDACS has opened a consumer hotline to receive complaints from consumers. Those who believe they were sold contaminated gasoline may file a complaint by calling 1-800-HELP-FLA, or go online at https:\/\/www.fdacs.gov. <\/p>\n
Citgo, meanwhile, has said that consumers who believe they purchased contaminated fuel on or after Saturday, Aug. 26, can initiate a claim through its Citgo Good Gas Guarantee program at https:\/\/www.citgo.com\/contact-us.<\/p>\n
Bad timing<\/h2>\n
The contaminated fuel issue couldn\u2019t have come at a worse time.<\/p>\n
A lot of people may be evacuating the area so it\u2019s certainly not a good thing, said De Haan. <\/p>\n
As of Monday morning the center of Tropical Storm Idalia was forecast to move over the extreme southeastern Gulf of Mexico by early Tuesday and reach the Gulf Coast of Florida on Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm is forecast to become a hurricane later Monday and become a \u201cdangerous major hurricane\u201d over the northeastern Gulf of Mexico by early Wednesday. <\/p>\n
Ports along the western coast of Florida, including Tampa, Manatee, St. Petersburg, and Fort Myers, are now closed to inbound ship traffic because of the hurricane threat, said Milne. \u201cFlorida receives most of its fuel by marine vessel, so this does impact supply.\u201d<\/p>\n
He pointed out that hurricanes are a \u201cdouble-edged sword when it comes to fuel prices.\u201d <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n \u201c<\/span>Hurricanes are a \u201cdouble-edged sword when it comes to fuel prices.\u201d \u201d<\/span>\n <\/p>\n
\n \u2014 Brian Milne, DTN<\/span>
\n <\/small><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\nInitially, \u201cwe see \u2018panic\u2019 buying, which boosts prices,\u201d Milne said. \u201cYet hurricanes typically diminish demand since people in affected areas are less likely or disallowed from traveling as the storm passes through. Unless there\u2019s sustained damage to production or logistics, hurricanes frequently depress demand after an initial price run-up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Given that, Milne said consumers in Florida will see an \u201cinitial bump in gasoline prices, which should quickly dissipate.\u201d <\/p>\n
Gasoline futures
\n RBU23,
\n -3.19%<\/bg-quote><\/p>\n RB00,
\n -3.23%<\/bg-quote>
\n did see a rally in reaction to the storm, as well as unit outages at Marathon\u2019s refinery caused by two tank fires on Friday that will work their way to retail prices nationwide, he said. <\/p>\nAt the same time, the market is also \u201cmoving past the summer driving season and lower gasoline demand following the Labor Day weekend, which will mitigate any price gains that we are now seeing in the wholesale market,\u201d said Milne.<\/p>\n
As of Monday afternoon, the average price for regular unleaded gasoline stood at $3.779 a gallon, according to GasBuddy. That\u2019s down from $3.826 a week ago.<\/p>\n
Florida\u2019s average price was at $3.671 Monday afternoon, with Tampa\u2019s at $3.681, GasBuddy data showed.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n