‘The fuel is there’: Reports of Winnipeg fuel shortages overblown, petroleum analyst says

Stan ‘the Scrap Man’ Bedernjak spends roughly $40 a day on gas to keep his truck on the move.

He calls it “the beast” and in the back, there’s an assortment of scrap he’s preparing to cash in.

“I get up to the pump. Just one guy ahead of me, and all of a sudden, I get a (knock knock) on the door. And I look over…”

Bedernjak gestures his hand across his neck, making the universal sign for “cut it.”

“And I knew it was one of the guys from the station and he says, ‘no more fuel.'”

Bedernjak says when he got turned away, the scene was one of confusion. Many people had lined up for fuel and cars were being forced to back up and navigate line, with no more gas than when they arrived.

However, while some people have been sharing signs from closed pumps and stations, Bedernjak says he thinks people are panicking far too soon.

“I don’t think people should be stressed at all,” he said, leaning up against his truck Monday.

The closure of an Imperial Oil pipeline that brings gasoline, diesel and jet fuel to Winnipeg from Gretna, Man., is expected to last three months.

But gas does continue to flow to Winnipeg, as Imperial Oil said in a statement Monday it has established new supply chains, both through truck and rail.

A statement from the company says preparatory work happening near the pipeline section in question to get it ready for maintenance is already underway, and needed equipment for the work is set to arrive this week.

“Our priorities remain the integrity of the pipeline and ensuring the continued protection of people and the environment, while minimizing disruption to our customers and the local economy,” it noted.

Like the situation Bedernjak experienced, some of the pumps in Winnipeg are seeing hiccups as a result of the ongoing repairs, but one expert says the closures are by no means widespread.

“The good news is gasoline production is not impacted, this is simply a logistical challenge of getting gasoline that exists from point A to point B,” said petroleum analyst with GasBuddy.com Patrick De Haan.

He says while some fuel stations may be running on empty, it’s more of an issue of timing than supply, as many station owners are still adjusting to the new flow of fuel to the city, which he says is still constant.

“The fuel is there,” he said. “You do not need to run out and fill your tank up. You don’t even need to stay on full. The flow of gasoline into Winnipeg continues. There will be some small, low-level headaches, but they are not going to be migraines.”

With his truck his livelihood, Bedernjak says the public should “relax” when it comes to the fuel situation, but admits one scenario would spark some stress, and that’s snow.

“I would be worried if we had a blizzard,” the Scrap Man said. “Now you’re not going to be trucking in stuff if the highways are closed. Then we’re going to have a problem.”

Imperial Oil says it will continue to update key stakeholders as work on the pipeline continues.