Fresh Loaf

Jim Galloway posts that yesterday’s release of 900,000 barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve wasn’t thanks to Gov. Sonny Perdue’s efforts. It was just well-timed and concurrent with a request from refiners.

The AJC muckracker passes ob a statement from a U.S. Department of Energy spokesman:

“DOE approved an additional release of up to 900,000 barrels of crude oil from the SPR to two refiners who submitted requests. This was a concurrent request made by the individual refiners that echoed what the Governor was asking for. The 900,000 barrel SPR release was not in direct response to the Governor’s request.

“We appreciate the Governor’s concern about fuel supplies in the United States. As he noted, emergency oil exchanges from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve are an important tool to mitigate supply constraints. Following Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, DOE released over four million barrels of SPR oil for this purpose, and stands ready to quickly assist in response to additional refinery requests.

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Turns out Gov. Sonny Perdue’s got some pull up in Washington, D.C.

Per the governor’s request, the U.S. Department of Energy says it’ll open the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in the Gulf of Mexico to help ease Georgia’s gas shortage.

“Today the Department approved an additional release of up to 900,000 barrels of crude oil from the SPR for two refiners that have not been able to obtain adequate supplies due to the ongoing disruptions,” Secretary Samuel Bodman wrote to Perdue. “With this additional release, the total amount provided from the SPR to refineries will be approximately 5.7 million barrels since September 3, 2008.”

The state Department of Revenue has also granted waivers to out-of-state haulers without a Georgia motor-fuel licenses to deliver gasoline into the state. Diesel goes first to first responders, school systems experiencing low supplies, and agriculture centers.

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Gov. Sonny Perdue has asked Pres. Bush to release crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. (Click here to view the letter to the president.)

“As President Bush and Congress work on a plan to rescue our financial markets, I urge them to also focus on our fuel shortage in the Southeast,” Perdue said in a release. “As refinery capacity is returning to pre-hurricane levels, I believe a surge in crude from the Reserve would bridge the gap until full production resumes and lessen the impact of shortages on the daily lives of our citizens.”

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, 57.4 percent of crude oil production in the Gulf of Mexico is out, a slight improvement from Friday. Three refineries re-opened over the weekend; two refineries remain completely shut down. Oil is on the way, they say.

Keep us posted, governor. In the meantime, Georgians will continue to keep each other informed via Twitter.

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