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Almost half of DC gas stations are owned by one company; could this be why it was hit hardest by gas shortage?

We've pinpointed some stations in the city that have gas, but many are empty. Some analysts blame a company that distributes gas and owns nearly half the stations.

WASHINGTON — Gas stations in Maryland and Virginia are nearly back to normal, but D.C. is still struggling, according to GasBuddy.com.

Monday afternoon, GasBuddy reported that 69% of stations were out of gas in the District.

A spokesman for AAA Mid-Atlantic suggested part of the problem is that one company -- Capitol Petroleum Group -- owns almost half the gas stations in D.C., and also controls a significant portion of the distribution. No one from Capitol Petroleum responded to messages Monday.

There are 112 gas stations in the city, and 54 of them are owned by Capitol Petroleum, which was sued in November by D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine for alleged price gouging during the pandemic. 

"That's why you have the district now is the ground zero and the epicenter of jurisdictions without gasoline," said John Townsend of AAA Mid-Atlantic.

But a Gasbuddy analyst didn't agree. 

"That's irrelevant, if you don't mind me being direct," said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy. "All stations are having the same problems - not enough capacity at the rack where tankers fill up and not enough truckers to make a big dent all at once. Everyone is struggling with it, unfortunately and panic buying is still happening."

Townsend said the Costco on Market St. in Northeast DC seems to have a solid supply of fuel and is selling it for significantly less than most places in the city, but among other parts of the city, there was frustration that even days after the Colonial Pipeline reopened, people in D.C. were still searching for gas.

"This is my 5th gas station," said Robert Gregory, who finally found gas at the Marathon station at 6th and Florida Ave, NE.

"Had to go to three gas stations to find gas. I was on E, so I was about to run out," said Charlie Whitehurst, who was also filling up at the Marathon.

"Thank you Marathon. I can drive on!" said Gregory.

There was also gas at the BP on Connecticut Avenue in Chevy Chase and the Shell on Connecticut Ave. NW.

"I drove up from West Virginia today and all the truck stops had it, it was no problem," said another driver who was filling up at the BP.

But there was no gas at the Exxon on Connecticut in Chevy Chase or the Exxon at Nebraska Avenue.

AAA Mid-Atlantic said Southeast D.C. has been especially hard hit.

"I'm praying, trying to find a gas station. I don't want to be sitting on the corner with no gas in the Benz. That's embarrassing," said a Mercedes Benz driver who gave the name Tark McCargo.

Patience is a virtue; panic buying is a vice. The experts say we will get back to normal in the coming days -- if you can just hold out.

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