Garages run out of petrol after supply issues

The owner of three petrol stations says his garages have run out of a fuel as a result of an oil refinery going into administration.

Tom Dant of Gill Marsh Forecourts said all three of his sites at Ulceby Cross, Partney and Bilsby in Lincolnshire ran out of unleaded petrol on Thursday.

The government said an agreement had been reached to keep the Lindsey refinery at Immingham operating and resume deliveries despite filing for insolvency on 29 June.

The Petrol Retailers Association (PRA) acknowledged there may be delays to deliveries and advised motorists to "shop around".

The Lindsey Oil Refinery is owned by Prax Group which filed for insolvency on 29 June.

There are 420 employees at the refinery, whose jobs are now at risk.

According to the government, Lindsey is the smallest of the UK's oil refineries producing fuel. It is next to the Phillips 66 Humber refinery, which is the dominant fuel supplier in the region.

In a statement on Friday, a spokesperson for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said: "The UK is well supplied with fuel – the site is right next door to one of the biggest and most efficient refineries in the country, and stock levels are normal across the UK."

However, Mr Dant said his garages were supplied by Harvest Energy which was also part of the Prax Group.

"Even if there's product there, we still couldn't get that product," he said.

"It's very hard, because there are quite a few of us in the same boat," he added.

"There's loads of garages around us that are now starting to run out because obviously the remaining refinery, Phillips 66 can't just double their production overnight," he explained.

The retailer said he expected the supply problems to last at least two weeks, but hoped to have secured some fuel from Liverpool by the end of next week.

"Obviously there's a great deal of extra cost for us to get that, but at least we'll have some products to sell," he said.

A PRA spokesperson: "The PRA is currently in contact with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and also Harvest Energy.

"We are aware that Harvest Energy (Prax) have allowed their dealers to source product from alternative suppliers whilst clarity is sought on supply from Lindsey Oil Refinery.

"Whilst there may be some delay to deliveries there is no shortage of product and motorists are advised to shop around."

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