Gasoline prices jumped as much as 11 cents a gallon on commodities markets as traders feared that power outages and flooding could leave refiners struggling to restore operations after the broadest storm ever to hit the United States. Prices later pared gains to close up about 6 cents a gallon at $2.757.
As Sandy neared the coast refinery, pipeline, port and terminal operators shuttered or reduced operations, increasing the risk that bottlenecks would keep fuel supplies from reaching customers.
"Given the recent tightness of supplies in New York Harbor, this weather event is only likely to perpetuate strength in gasoline prices," BNP Paribas oil analysts Harry Tchilinguirian and Gareth Lewis-Davies said in a research note.
Colonial Pipeline, the nation's largest oil products pipeline that connects the East Coast to Gulf Coast refiners, was set to close its main line to Philadelphia and New York, halting delivery of up to 15 percent of the region's fuel demand.
Nearly 70 percent of the region's refining capacity was on track to be idled. Phillips 66confirmed it had completely shut its giant Bayway, N.J., refinery, the area's second-largest plant, known as the "gasoline machine" for its key role supplying motor fuel to the New York City area.
"Many of the process units have been shut down, others are in 'standby,' and the remainder have been brought to their minimum safe operating levels," said spokeswoman Cherice Corley.
The storm comes as low inventories of refined products have stirred concerns of potential price spikes during the winter heating season.
The precautionary refinery closures are more widespread than during Hurricane Irene in August 2011, when only the Bayway plant shut completely.
While refiners escaped any serious damage during that hurricane, many fear Sandy's massive storm surge -- forecast to be as high as 11 feet -- could breach plant defenses and cause damaging flooding, which can sometimes take weeks to repair. Abrupt power outages also can damage refinery equipment.
