BP SA has confirmed that it is experiencing a fuel shortage at its service stations in Cape Town after an unplanned local refinery outage.

This is after multiple road users reported being turned away from service stations in various areas, including Strandfontein, Mitchells Plain, and Green Point. Astron Energy, which operates a crude oil refinery in Milnerton, told Fin24 a section of the refinery experienced an ‘operational upset’ over the weekend, which impacted supply of unleaded petrol and diesel.

‘We are pleased to confirm that the situation has been resolved and the refinery is fully operational, and we are able to meet demands going forward. We regret any inconvenience caused,’ Astron said in a statement.

BP spokesperson Hamlet Morule said the company had diverted an import vessel to Cape Town to ensure the security of supply.

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Meanwhile, SA is still selling oil from strategic stockpiles to fund measures introduced two years ago to cushion consumers from a spike in road fuel prices.

Fin24 reports the Strategic Fuel Fund Association paid the National Treasury R2bn in proceeds from the sale of oil inventories for the financial year through March, the Central Energy Fund said in a response to questions. In 2022, authorities made reductions to fuel levies to help protect consumers and businesses against the impact of rising crude prices.

‘The current disposal process has not been concluded,’ the CEF said, declining to identify who bought the oil. It said a current sales tender ‘is handled through a transparent, competitive and cost-effective public process.’

The SFF in February issued a tender to sell 3.5m barrels of Iraqi Basrah Light crude. It said offers had to be for the full amount of the oil that was first purchased by the SFF in 2006, and which had been stored with small quantities of different grades.

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