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Norman Wells running out of gas Community to ration fuel until barge arrives
Kassina Ryder
Northern News Services
Published Monday, June 3, 2013
LLI GOLINE/NORMAN WELLS
Residents and businesses in Norman Wells are rationing gasoline to try to prevent a severe shortage before the first barge of the season arrives.
Mayor Harold Gregor McGregor said the town's gas supplier, SRP Petroleum, distributed an information sheet asking residents to conserve gas.
"They sold more gas than they planned on over the winter and they're a bit short," McGregor said. "Everybody is trying to do their part."
Alexis Peachey, SRP Petroleum office manager, said increased oil and gas activity put an unanticipated strain on the town's supply of gasoline.
"There was a lot more work in this area and we do believe that is the majority of the reason why there is that possibility of a shortage," she said.
Peachey said she has been working for the company for the past six years and there has never been a gasoline shortage. She also said to her knowledge, there hasn't been a shortage in the 10 years the company has been operating its bulk gasoline station.
"This is the first year since I've been at SRP that we've had this problem. This is the first year, too, that there has been so much activity in Norman Wells in quite a few years."
As a result, the company is rationing the amount of gas customers can purchase until the barge arrives, which is expected to reach Norman Wells around June 20.
In the information letter distributed throughout the town explaining the situation, the company stated gasoline will have to be limited until resupply is received.
"In the interim, gasoline product will be allocated for customers based on past consumption experience," the letter states. "Product has been set aside for essential services."
It also stated that a cap of 25 litres might be set at the community's Esso gas station, if necessary.
Peachey said the company keeps track of community gasoline orders on an annual basis, so customers will be supplied with the same amount of fuel they usually order.
"We know how much our customers are going to be using based on last year's numbers or last month's numbers," she said. "It will just keep it within how much they've always used."
Peachey said residents are being asked to carpool, walk or ride bicycles and not use air conditioning to try and reduce the amount of gas they use.
"There is the potential of a shortage, but we want to make sure that doesn't happen, so we're just asking everybody in the community to carpool, walk, bike, don't leave their engines running, plan out their day of what errands they have to do and do them in a way that conserves the fuel they already have," she said.
Peachey said that means trying to plan errands and trips ahead of time, such as doing grocery shopping on the way home from work in one trip instead of having to make two.
Peachey said staff at SRP Petroleum are doing the same.
"We are limiting how many times we have to leave the office, we're carpooling, using our own quads to keep down our consumption of fuel as well," she said.
McGregor said he believes residents will heed the warning and do their best to conserve before the situation gets critical.
"We'll get through it I'm sure," he said.
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