CNG unaffected by Harvey

The area hit by Harvey happens to extract and process up to 25% of all American oil, so temporary shutting down of local refineries has already caused major disruptions in the supply chain, naturally making fuels more expensive. But since natural gas is produced elsewhere, for companies processing, transporting and using it it's business as usual. In fact, CNG may soon become the only motor fuel abundantly available in Houston and around it.

© fleetsandfuels.comCNG stations experienced temporary downtime, but were back in the game quickly and with regular prices at the pump

Of course, the hurricane caused shutdowns to certain affected refueling stations, but no delays have been inflicted on the manufacturing process. This means that when all affected retail points restart their operations, there will be no supply shortages or price hikes. Of course, CNG isn't nearly as popular as petrol and cannot replace it immediately, but since it's primarily the fuel of public transport and refuse management fleets, it's continuous availability is of great importance – many vehicles running on methane will be used to help relieve those affected by Harvey.

We were able to keep all our stations up and running the entire time. We had to reset our systems several times because of power outages but we were able to stay open. Petrol prices are going up and there are lines for shortages that I have heard of around the state.

Bob Baldwin, CEO CNG 4 America

This is not the first time gaseous fuels prove they have an edge over their traditional equivalents. Several years ago, when a tsunami wave hit Japan, the LPG sector was affected to a lesser degree than the petrol/diesel industry and autogas-powered cars were used to transport people to safety and bring supplies to those in need. Now the same seems to be happening with CNG in Texas, US, which is just another good reason to switch to gaseous fuels as soon as possible.