Diesel stocks are tight and companies are sharing what they
have after a refinery shut-down, bad weather at sea, and
problems getting fuel from South Korea.
New Zealand's biggest fuel suppliers confirmed this week they
were working together to manage supplies as they waited for
national diesel stocks to improve.
Caltex, Shell, BP and Mobil were sure there was enough diesel
in their combined inventory of terminals to meet demand
before more supply ships arrived.
Greenstone Energy spokesman Jonathan Hill, whose company owns
the Shell brand in New Zealand, echoed all companies with his
assurance there was no shortage of fuel in the South Island.
Greenstone's diesel supplies were "tight" after high demand
in September, a weather-delayed Lyttelton shipment, and a
shutdown at Marsden Point refinery.
The company had predicted a "tightening in the fuel supply
chain" but plans to commission a 10 million-litre tank in
Lyttelton were delayed by the Canterbury earthquake.
The tank will be commissioned and operational early next year
to provide a "valuable boost" to diesel storage in the South
Island.
The next shipment will arrive in Lyttelton this morning and
further imports were being arranged from Singapore, Mr Hill
said.
"We're not pleased to be short of diesel but we're taking a
number of steps to manage it, get supply to where it's needed
and to restore levels within the industry."
Caltex spokeswoman Sharon Buckland said supply was further
"tightened" in the wake of delays shipping fuel from South
Korea.
Nationally, Caltex's supplies were "a little low" but it
expected no problems. A long-standing agreement meant fuel
companies were co-ordinating their terminals to even-out
access to new diesel.
BP spokesman Neil Green and Mobil spokesman Alan Bailey
confirmed supply was tight but that their stocks were "fine".
Mr Bailey said the co-ordination system had been used
"reasonably regularly", and to good effect, in the past to
minimise the chance of any disruption.
- stu.oldham@odt.co.nz
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