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Shifts in consumer purchasing patterns are intensifying the demand for diesel in Australia, prompting the nation to rely heavily on neighboring countries to maintain a steady flow of fuel tankers.
Although the challenge of meeting diesel demand persists, there are encouraging signs of increased supply movement both into and out of the country.
Energy Minister Chris Bowen commented, “Fuel is being dispatched to service stations and farmers, while fresh supplies are arriving at Australia’s import terminals.”
Overnight, nearly 100 service stations received fresh supplies, reducing the number of stations out of diesel to 312 from 410 the previous day, with improvements noted nationwide. However, for the farming community, these measures are still insufficient.
“We are now five to six weeks into this conflict, and we’re operating on empty, merely scraping by,” stated Xavier Martin, President of NSW Farmers.
Australia’s emergency fuel stock levels remain stable at 39 days of petrol, 30 days of jet fuel and down just one day on last week to 29 for diesel.
Buying habits are changing with more people filling up their tanks more often.
Viva Energy’s Geelong refinery reported a 30 per cent rise in demand in the lead up to Easter this year.
NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury said Aussies were still “stockpiling”.
“Some of it is panic buying but it’s also industry and agriculture accessing their diesel and using it differently,” he said.
While a record amount of fuel is on its way to Australia from the United States, the prime minister is still leaning on suppliers closer to home including a push to strengthen ties with Singapore which needs our gas.
“Anthony Albanese Penny Wong and myself have been in constant contact with our counterparts around the region, sharing notes about the crisis, sharing notes about helping each other through, getting assurances from other countries that they will be reliable energy suppliers just as we are reliable energy suppliers to them,” Bowen added.
Planning is also underway for a possible visit to Australia from Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
If locked in it could be another chance to secure some of its oil supply in exchange for our energy resources.
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