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U.K.’s Fuel Retailers Aren’t Saying Much About Resupply Yet

U.K.’s Fuel Retailers Aren’t Saying Much About Resupply Yet

With a crisis in U.K. retail fuel supply now in its fourth day, companies that sell gasoline and diesel are struggling to provide clear timelines on when the situation will normalize. 

Several said the situation is fast-moving, making it hard to provide an overview. Demand, as evident in panic buying at filling stations, surged on Friday. Click here for a rolling update of the U.K. fuel crisis.

Below is a tracker of the last statements, and when they were provided. It will be updated when new announcements are made.

  • The statements were given Monday, unless stated. Timestamps are London.

Esso, Exxon Mobil Corp.’s U.K. business, 1:22 p.m.:

  • “The majority of the 1,200 Esso branded sites in the U.K. are owned and operated by a number of independent retail companies – these companies are responsible for arranging supplies of Esso fuel from the supply terminal to their service stations.”
  • “As regards our own operations, a number of our 200 Tesco Alliance sites (Esso forecourt with a Tesco Express shop) are impacted in some way. We are working closely with all parties in our distribution network to optimize supplies.”
  • “ExxonMobil operates the UK’s largest refinery and an extensive underground pipeline network supplying our fuel distribution terminals. All those operations continue as normal, with fuel production at Fawley refinery unaffected and with strong supply to our distribution terminals. Despite the challenges faced on forecourts, the production and supply of fuels to our terminals is unaffected.”
  • “Our advice is for motorists to stick to their normal buying patterns.”

Royal Dutch Shell Plc, 12:25 p.m.: 

  • “Measures that will help to ease the pressure on the fuel supply chain are welcome. We are working hard to ensure supplies for customers. Since Friday we have been seeing a higher than normal demand across our network which is resulting in some sites running low on some grades. We are replenishing these as quickly as we are able to.”
  • NOTE: Statement removes a reference provided Sunday to normally replenishing within 24 hours

J Sainsbury Plc, 12:06 p.m.:

  • “We’re experiencing high demand for fuel. We’re working closely with our supplier to maintain supply and all our sites continue to receive fuel”
  • “Some are currently closed but we’ll struggle to break this out because the situation is changing all the time – sites are reopening after receiving more fuel while some are closing until they receive more.”

Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc at about 11:50 a.m., co said it had no update to this statement, given on Sept. 24:

  • “It is a rapidly moving situation and we are working hard with our suppliers to ensure we can continue to keep all our pumps open and serve our customers”

BP Plc, 12:15 p.m. Sept. 27:

  • “We are experiencing fuel supply issues at some of our retail sites in the U.K. This is being caused by delays in our supply chain due to a shortage of qualified drivers – this issue is impacting industries across the U.K.”
  • “Most of the 1,200 sites we supply across the U.K. remain supplied and open. However, with the intense demand seen over the past two days, we estimate that around 30% of sites in this network do not currently have either of the main grades of fuel. We are working to resupply as rapidly as possible. Sites that have multiple grade-outs may have closed for fuel purchases – we do not have an estimate of this number”
  • “We continue to work hard with our haulier supplier, Hoyer, to optimize fuel distribution and to minimize the level of disruption, keeping key sites supplied and restocking as rapidly as possible. The sites affected are changing as we continue deliveries as usual.”

©2021 Bloomberg L.P.