0# Gas Shortage in Shanghai

By Jian Shuo Wang on 2007-10-28 22:13 · News

Yesterday, when we got back from Donghai Bridge, I found I didn’t have enough gas to get back to the city, I decided to find the nearest gas station. I remember there is one from SINOPEC at the toll station. So I went there.

The bad news for me is, before the station, many big trucks lined up there. It seems it may take some time for me to get to the gas station.

It turned out that there are no 0# gas there, and 93# gas is still available. Then I managed to drive among all the big trucks and get to the head of the line.

I chatted with the service people in the gas station. They told me there was no 0# gas from the last night till 4:00 PM. The trunk at the head of the line has been waited there for 4 hours. The drivers told me these days, even if they go to the other gas station, there may not be any gas there either.

What happens? I only learn from newspaper that oil in mid-east has problems. I may be the reason of the recent gas shortage in Shanghai.

When I finished filling my gas, the gas cargo truck came. The people in the gas stations cheered. They have waited there for too long.

Below are some pictures I took when I was at the station.

Photograph by Jian Shuo Wang

12 Comments

Jian Shuo

How were you able to drive your little car around all those big trucks to get to the head of the line at that gas station? You could have started a riot at that gasoline station.

— Shrek7 · 2007-10-28 23:08

@Shrek7, that afternoon, #93 gas is available, which is what I need, and there are no #0 gas. There are so many trucks that they blocked the road to #93 station. Finally they managed to move a little bit, and I managed to move my car in the maze of trucks and get to the station.

— Jian Shuo Wang · 2007-10-29 10:34

it's diesel, not gas

— cookie · 2007-10-30 02:05

Need help urgently guys. I am trying to finalise my decision to relocate to Shanghai. Can someone advise please - Is RMB 17 000 a descent monthly salary to live a nice and comfortable life in Shanghai??? This figure is before tax - dont know what the tax percentage is at the moment. But l will paying for my own accomodation......Helppppppp

— Carlos · 2007-10-30 22:30

I have been offred a job in Shanghai for 17 000RMB/month (before tax). Will that give me a comfortable life. I pay for my own accomodation and bills. And how much are 1bedroom apartments generally please.

— Carlos · 2007-10-30 22:35

I don't think it's a supply issue from Mideast. it's when gov't policy setting and capping price of gasoline at retail, the refiners pay more to buy crude then they sell the final product at retail. Who wants to do a money losing business, the more you sell, the more money you lose? Shortage is always the end result of policy capping price, the weird child of combining both capitalist and socialist.

— dp · 2007-10-31 03:07

dp: You are exactly right. Supply is not the issue. The issue is the government price cap. When are policy makers going to learn that price caps do not work? The way to reduce inflation is to reduce money supply (M3), not price caps.

I wonder if today's price cap increase would be enough for refiners to turn a profit.

— Давид · 2007-11-02 00:30

The surge of commodities price including crude oil in the recent months is mainly due to $US has reached 30 years low, so low it has fallen off the benchmark of countries who are pegging with $US. China is now facing cost-push inflation despite her hugh trade surplus.

Is it a right time to let RMB floats?

— stephen · 2007-11-03 02:24

stephen: No. The right time to let RMB float was five years ago.

— Давид · 2007-11-04 00:50

Reducing M3 would have limited impact on commodity prices. In any case, eliminating the price cap is beneficial for society, by forcing certain people to conserve fuel. Driving is a privilege, not a basic right, and people that choke our air should pay handsomely for that privilege.

— Ben · 2007-11-11 00:14

Ben: Reducing M3 would have no effect on the cost of crude oil because it is a globally traded commodity. However, when money supply is constant, and price of one item goes up, the price of another must come down. There would be no inflation.

I agree that eliminating the price cap will be beneficial.

— Давид · 2007-11-12 08:45

Carlo......RMB 17K/month is not gonna bad enough to live comfortably in SH, barely enough to live like a human being. and ur talking about before tax....so after tax is probably around 13K? i guess.....anything less than 20K before tax is out of the question

— yo wuts up · 2007-12-24 08:27