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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

U. S. winter fuel supplies seen 'excellent'

Journal Article · · Oil Gas J.; (United States)
OSTI ID:6690503

According to a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) analysis, U.S. supply of heating oil and natural gas will be sufficient in the 1979-80 winter even if the weather is much colder than normal. DOE expects its goal of 240 million bbl of middle distillate inventories to be reached by refiners in Oct. 1979. DOE assumes a distillate demand of 4.5 million bbl/day for the Oct. 1979-Mar. 1980 heating season, compared with 4.11 million in the same 1976-77 period, 4 million in 1977-78, and 3.99 million in 1978-79. DOE, to put pressure on refiners to meet distillate production goals, has proposed a rule that would require a refiner's total production of diesel fuel and home heating oil in August, September, and October to be ''at least equal to the average of the three highest months of production in 1977 and 1978''. According to the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which expects a 5.5Vertical Bar3< increase over 1978-79 in natural gas deliveries by interstate pipelines, gas supplies will be adequate to meet demand during the next two winters.

OSTI ID:
6690503
Journal Information:
Oil Gas J.; (United States), Journal Name: Oil Gas J.; (United States) Vol. 77:33; ISSN OIGJA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English