running on empty

dec 14 2005

running on empty

the past week and abit everyone i know has been asking each other if they know where they can fill up.

i know the closest garage to me is empty. there's simply no fuel.

now i thought that it was only the western cape experiencing this fuel shortage problem but after listening to a national radio station this morning i heard that jo'burg is also a little low on fuel too.

the problem is minor, but big. it's not like we are being boycotted and will never get fuel again. or the country can't afford to import crude oil. it's a glitch in the system so to speak. the fuel companies were told to convert all 97 fuel to the environmentally friendly unleaded 95, before the end of the year.

it seems alot of the fuel producing plants decided to do this at the same time (more or less) and production fell. plus here in the western cape the caltex (chevron) plant in table view was running at a third of it's capacity due to maintenance... pretty much around the same time. hence the shortage in fuel. it seems they are working hard to get it sorted, in some instances they are claiming that there'll be fuel available in the next 24-36 hours. i reckon in a week things will be back to normal.

i've been pretty lucky in being able to find some 95 fuel not too far from where i have been running around. there's fuel at the shell garage on n2 coming back to cape town (as you just get off the sir lowry's pass and just after the gordon's bay turn off). there's also 3 garages in melkbosstrand. i've stopped by the caltex there and they have fuel...

the bp in west beach is empty, don't even bother just yet.

anyone else wanna add info on what and where there is fuel available / not avaliable?

Posted by sarah | personal, information

comments

sarah | 2005-12-15 16:44:15

i went past the total on my way to melkbos last night and they said they were getting a shipment of diesel at 9pm. when i went to the bp in west beach this morning (hmm, pies) they said they had recieved 20,000 litres last night... maybe that's the last of the 'fuel crisis', cause it looks like they getting the fuel delivered

warrenski | 2005-12-15 11:22:53

Thanks for the suggestion Sarah, but I managed to get some diesel last night on my way home. The Total garage in Brooklyn had just received a shipment. I'm safe for now. :)

sarah | 2005-12-14 14:23:37

i think you should maybe try the total garage along the west coast highway (just before the melkbos turnoff) if you're still not having any luck finding a station that's got diesel! here are 2 more in melkbos that you could try if they haven't got...

warrenski | 2005-12-14 12:19:12

I've got half a tank still to see me through for a bit, bit it's going down quickly. Diesel is proving much harder to find right now than petrol, I stopped at atleast 4 garages in town/Gardens last night with no luck. The Caltex in Paarden Eiland had no diesel either although this morning I saw a long string of vehicles waiting in line to get some, so they must've got a shipment in.

I'm a little worried, but am hoping it'll all be ok by the time I need to fill up again. I've heard that petrol companies are prioritising garages along the national roads, so there's somewhere where you could try.