Diesel fuel shortage coming to South Carolina and Georgia, Manfield Energy says

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Manfield Energy, a major provider of fuel delivery, has issued a warning saying that there is a diesel fuel shortage coming in the Southeastern US- South Carolina and Georgia included.

The official supply alert issued by Mansfield Energy states “Poor pipeline shipping economics and historically low diesel inventories are combining to cause shortages in various markets throughout the Southeast.”

In turn, Commissioner Black says we’re seeing a rise in diesel fuel prices.

“When you see tighter supplies, you’re always going to see higher prices. And when those higher prices for basic inputs: fuel, labor, those kinds of things that we’ve seen escalate over time, the natural result of economics is that that’s going to be reflected in the retail price that you and I pay,” Agriculture Commissioner of Georgia Gary Black said.

The cause of the shortage, Black says, doesn’t boil down to just one thing.

He says the war between Russia and Ukraine has undoubtedly contributed to the shortage- as well as issues here in the United States.

”We’re down about 11 or so refineries in America since COVID. Some of the less efficient ones were casualties of COVID. That’s reduced our productive capacity to actually produce product,” Black says.

When it comes down to it- Black says the shortage won’t just affect one specific group of people and that everyone across the board needs to prepare to see prices rise as we near the end of the year.

“All of us consumers, we head towards Christmas, the shipping, trucking, all the things for consumer goods, our food, it’s really a much broader area of concern for all of us.”

Commissioner Black did add that local company, Colonial Oil, a major supplier of oil in the State of Georgia, is operating all of their refineries.

WTOC reached out to them to discuss the diesel shortage and see what they’re expecting in the months to come, but haven’t heard back yet.

Copyright 2022 WTOC. All rights reserved.