Benicia's deputy city manager says if the port is out of commission with trouble bringing in crude to the refinery, gas prices could possibly spike.
Operations at the port have been halted. The facility is used to by Valero Benicia Refinery, which processes crude into gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. Energy experts say even a small disruption could have economic impacts at the pump. "They produce a lot of gas and diesel if they were to lose operation of that refinery, that would be a big hit to California market, I'd expect prices to shoot up farther just as they were starting to come down," said Professor Severin Borenstein from the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business.
The port is also a major import hub for Toyota cars and trucks. Several dealers told us off camera, they're concerned delivery delays might add to ongoing supply chain headaches."We continue to get regular updates from port officials and are optimistic that we will be able to resume off loading vehicles soon at the berth where the fire occurred, or will use another one at the port.