BP prepares to ration fuel deliveries as some petrol stations close over supply problems

[Still Waters]

BP has told the government that it plans to restrict deliveries of petrol and diesel to its network of service stations to ensure continuity of supply. The company’s ability to transport fuel from refineries to its network of forecourts is being impacted by the ongoing shortage of HGV drivers. At a meeting, organised by the Cabinet Office last Thursday, BP’s Head of UK Retail, Hanna Hofer, said it was important that government understood the “urgency of the situation” which she described as “bad, very bad”.

According to Hofer, BP has “two thirds of normal forecourt stock levels required for smooth operations” and that level is “declining rapidly”. The company is preparing to restrict deliveries “very soon”.

https://www.itv.com/news/2021-09-23/hgv-driver-shortage-bp-poised-to-ration-fuel-deliveries-amid-supply-problems

[L.A.T.1961]

I did wonder if fuel might be affected, so I filled up last night on the way back from Sainsburys. 

Petrol companies usually run their own trucks as their drivers need special training.

In theory they should be amongst the last to feel any problems as their drivers will not leave once getting a well paid tanker job. 

[itsnotoutthere]

1 hour ago, L.A.T.1961 said:

I did wonder if fuel might be affected, so I filled up last night on the way back from Sainsburys. 

Petrol companies usually run their own trucks as their drivers need special training.

In theory they should be amongst the last to feel any problems as their drivers will not leave once getting a well paid tanker job. 

Any excuse to put the price up. 

[LV-426]

Fewer cars on the road, concerns about energy supplies, food shortages on the shelves... it'll be like heading back to the Dark Ages last year...

[Guest Br Cornelius]

Another Brexit bonus

 

Br Cornelius

[Wepwawet]

And the government says this:

Quote

Downing Street has said people should continue buying fuel as normal.

Which will be taken as a sign to fill up your tank NOW! and then the next breathless breaking news will be about pumps running dry.

Perhaps it's not too early to fill your bath and all your pots and pans with water, just in case. Or perhaps it's time to pick up our flaming torches and pitchforks.

[L.A.T.1961]

The story is trending at number 4 on bbc.

In town earlier and no unusual activity at the garages. 

I dropped in my local garage and put some diesel in my other car, if you are going to panic buy do it early.  

[itsnotoutthere]

"It’s the perfect storm: a miserable spring ran down European gas stocks, the pandemic disrupted global output of gas, shipping is disrupted, and demand in Asia for LNG (liquefied natural gas) is through the roof.

And in another act of great foresight, British authorities decided to decimate our strategic gas storage facilities by closing the Rough facility off the Yorkshire coast, a site which formerly accounted for 70 per cent of the UK’s gas storage capacity.

But not to worry, we have all those wind turbines to pick up the slack, right? We might, if the wind were to blow. At time of writing, wind is supplying just 7.8 per cent of our energy needs, and solar another 5.6 per cent.

We have been reduced to something akin to the ancient tribes of Britannia, praying to the gods to change the weather in our favour. Perhaps a few offerings to the deities and the wind will pick up, allowing us to put the kettle on again.

After all, there aren’t many other options. Due to the noise of the eco-lobby, the government has long neglected nuclear. Hinkley Point C is under construction in Somerset (with the involvement of the Chi-coms, natch), but a large part of our nuclear power production facilities is due to go offline over the next decade or so."

https://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/when-the-lights-go-out-it-wont-be-vlads-fault/

[L.A.T.1961]

Petrol station operators have been approached by the BBC for comment.

Esso said that a "small number" of its 200 Tesco Alliance retail sites have been affected.

However, supermarket Morrisons, which operates 338 petrol stations across the UK, said it is not seeing any similar issues at the moment.

Co-op runs 130 petrol stations in the country, and said it has a "full compliment" of fuel delivery drivers. Tesco also said that they have a "good availability of fuel" and Sainsbury's said there are no current issues in their fuel supplies.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58645712

 

Looks like the story is being blown up. 

Can't think why. 

[Ozymandias]

Why Britain's Electricity Price Increased by 3000% - TLDR News - YouTube

This short video gives a good explanation of the UK dependence on wind energy and foreign gas supplies.

 

Edited September 23, 2021 by Ozymandias

[Silver]

The UK is facing a “perfect storm” of disruption as it heads into winter, according to analysts, with the twin threats of surging gas prices and severe shortages of lorry drivers set to force ministers into making some unpalatable policy decisions.  

Perhaps the most pressing issue on the agenda is the shortage of HGV drivers, which is now starting to affect supplies of petrol and diesel at station forecourts.  

BP, one of the worst affected companies, insists it has plenty of fuel to restock its stations – the problem is there are not enough drivers to transport it.  

Left unchecked, there are fears the situation could spark panic among motorists, causing tailbacks at petrol stations and force swathes of fuel courts to close. 

Fears of drivers panic-buying petrol might force ministers to fix the HGV lorry driver crisis (msn.com)

Edited September 23, 2021 by The Silver Shroud

[LV-426]

2 hours ago, Br Cornelius said:

Another Brexit bonus

 

Br Cornelius

 

Oh, give it a rest you petty little obsessive

For one who presents themselves as a right-on, environmentally aware, occupant of the moral high ground, you sure seem to take a great deal of pleasure in others' misfortunes.

 

This is a global problem, largely attributed to China buying up reserves of liquefied natural gas, along with Russia restricting supplies. Europe are facing the same problems we are:

Europe next to suffer from CO2 shortage, industry chiefs warn

 

If it is affecting Britain more keenly, do you know why? Because we have higher reliance on sources such as wind power.

Would you prefer Britain abandons the green aganda, and looks back to coal, fracking and nuclear power?

[Essan]

Another of the cracks in the wall that Brexit has revealed.   But Brexit did not cause it.

Ironically my local Tesco petrol station has been closed for weeks and not due to reopen till next month - they're revamping it for whatever the latest ecofad is.   I haven't bought petrol myself since 1986, except once in 1989 when I needed some for my camping stove.

[Guest Br Cornelius]

22 minutes ago, LV-426 said:

 

Oh, give it a rest you petty little obsessive

For one who presents themselves as a right-on, environmentally aware, occupant of the moral high ground, you sure seem to take a great deal of pleasure in others' misfortunes.

 

This is a global problem, largely attributed to China buying up reserves of liquefied natural gas, along with Russia restricting supplies. Europe are facing the same problems we are:

Europe next to suffer from CO2 shortage, industry chiefs warn

 

If it is affecting Britain more keenly, do you know why? Because we have higher reliance on sources such as wind power.

Would you prefer Britain abandons the green aganda, and looks back to coal, fracking and nuclear power?

Its a problem that you sent away all your truck drivers. Now what caused that ?

I know you live in a universe of denial - but that a basic fact I have just stated.

Br Cornelius

[LV-426]

4 minutes ago, Br Cornelius said:

Its a problem that you sent away all your truck drivers. Now what caused that ?

I know you live in a universe of denial - but that a basic fact I have just stated.

Br Cornelius

 

It's not a state of denial Br, and if you present your arguments factually, rationally and without prejudice, I'll gladly discuss them in a friendly manner - both the pros and cons of post-Brexit Britain.

So far, I predominantly see toxic comments, and a lack of respose to pertinent questions, such as the one posed regarding Britain's reliance on wind power.

 

On the driver shortage, of course Brexit has had an impact. It's been a seizmic political change, but again...

Driver shortage is pan-European

 

We're in the middle of a global pandemic and global economic crisis. If you can't see that as the main contributor to current events, you need to look a little harder.

[itsnotoutthere]

56 minutes ago, Br Cornelius said:

Its a problem that you sent away all your truck drivers. Now what caused that ?

I know you live in a universe of denial - but that a basic fact I have just stated.

Br Cornelius

Oh don't be so melodramatic, we didn't send them away, wouldn't you want to be home with you family during a pandemic lockdown, we're only just coming out of it. What would you suggest?  we stop them going home... where's your humanity?

Edited September 23, 2021 by itsnotoutthere

[Guest Br Cornelius]

They cannot  come back because of Brexit and that is impacting the UK disproportionately than other European countries.

I listened to a bunch of blow-hards tell me how wonderful it was all going to be for two years, forgive me if I relish their embarrassment at the lack of wonderful. And here's a clue I don't give a fig how that makes you feel, no one has an obligation to be nice to you and invoking the British stiff upper lip to insist on politeness is not a rule I see has much merritt here. As I said before time to own your mistakes.

 

Br Cornelius

[itsnotoutthere]

4 minutes ago, Br Cornelius said:

They cannot  come back because of Brexit and that is impacting the UK disproportionately than other European countries.

I listened to a bunch of blow-hards tell me how wonderful it was all going to be for two years, forgive me if I relish their embarrassment at the lack of wonderful. And here's a clue I don't give a fig how that makes you feel, no one has an obligation to be nice to you and invoking the British stiff upper lip to insist on politeness is not a rule I see has much merritt here. As I said before time to own your mistakes.

 

Br Cornelius

Well, good luck with your eurochums... we'll be keeping an eye on all the positives of staying in the club. Greece 2.0

Edited September 23, 2021 by itsnotoutthere

[Guest Br Cornelius]

6 minutes ago, itsnotoutthere said:

Well, good luck with your eurochums... we'll be keeping an eye on all the positives of staying in the club. Greece 2.0

For a country having to face up to its mistakes, you don't seem to realize that other countries made mistakes and had to face up to the consequences to. Greece was profligate and down right corrupt, it ran up debts it could never meet and without its usual strategy of dissolving the currency (and its debts) and declaring a dictatorship it had to face up to the hard consequences of overspending. Same for Ireland 10years ago. I'm fine with that, I think its right to be fiscally sensible.

 

Br Cornelius

[Eldorado]

Motorists have been urged by the government to "shop for fuel as usual" after BP said it had closed some of its petrol stations due to supply issues.

Sky News at MSN

[LV-426]

52 minutes ago, Br Cornelius said:

They cannot  come back because of Brexit and that is impacting the UK disproportionately than other European countries.

 

Disproportionately? I'm guessing you didn't look at the link that I provided.

 

Last year Poland had a deficit of 124,000 drivers, with a population under 38 million.

Britain had a deficit of 60,000-76,000 drivers, with a population of over 68 million.

I assume those figures include many Polish drivers who returned home due to Covid and/or Brexit.

 

52 minutes ago, Br Cornelius said:

I listened to a bunch of blow-hards tell me how wonderful it was all going to be for two years, forgive me if I relish their embarrassment at the lack of wonderful.

 

P.A.N.D.E.M.I.C.

Wakey, wakey!

 

I'm guessing you're still sore about this one, huh?

 

 

52 minutes ago, Br Cornelius said:

And here's a clue I don't give a fig how that makes you feel, no one has an obligation to be nice to you and invoking the British stiff upper lip to insist on politeness is not a rule I see has much merritt here. As I said before time to own your mistakes.

 

Good to know the rules of the game.

Sarcasm and mockery are much more fun and useful tools against the perpetually-triggered anyway

Edited September 23, 2021 by LV-426

[Silver]

Ministers have warned drivers not to let their tanks fall below a quarter full.

It is not known why so many UK businesses have had such a run of bad luck since January 1st this year.

Drivers warned not to let fuel tanks get below a quarter ahead of 'winter of discontent' fuel crisis | Daily Mail Online

Edited September 24, 2021 by The Silver Shroud

[Grey Area]

4 minutes ago, The Silver Shroud said:

Ministers have warned drivers not to let their tanks fall below a quarter full.

This is the Daily Mail for you.  The article starts as above, then goes on to quote actual ministers saying this:

‘There is no shortage of fuel in the UK, and people should continue to buy fuel as normal.’

This is scaremongering plain and simple, it’s a shame we are no longer reliant on deliveries of physical newspapers, we could do with getting rid of a few.

[Silver]

Petrol panic-buying begins as UK plunges towards Winter of Discontent 2.0: Food, gas, fuel and labour shortages see desperate bosses offering HGV drivers £78,000 salaries and fruit-pickers on £30-a-hour

Oil giant BP has said it cannot maintain petrol and diesel deliveries due to the lack of lorry drivers in the UK

The news is the latest sign of industries in the UK struggling to cope with the shortage of HGV drivers 

Wholesale prices for gas have increased 250% since the start of the year, and by another 70% since August 

Meanwhile, food supply chains have been placed under intense stress by the HGV situation and a CO2 crisis

Downing Street said this afternoon 'we acknowledge there are issues facing many industries across the UK'

It is not known why the UK economy has been adversely affected since January.

Drivers warned not to let fuel tanks get below a quarter ahead of 'winter of discontent' fuel crisis | Daily Mail Online

 

Edited September 24, 2021 by The Silver Shroud

[+and-then]

16 hours ago, LV-426 said:

Fewer cars on the road, concerns about energy supplies, food shortages on the shelves... it'll be like heading back to the Dark Ages last year...

Oh, it's on the road to be MUCH WORSE than last year.  The insane aspect of it is that it's being done INTENTIONALLY.  They're willing to do whatever it takes, including as many unnecessary deaths as needed to arrange their "great reset".