Caltex stations run out of petrol
Bulwer Park Service Station is among the many Durban Caltex stations having to turn away customers.
CALTEX service stations around Durban are running out of petrol, and having to turn away customers.
According to a notice from Chevron South Africa, which is being distributed to customers at Bulwer Park Service Station, one of Chevron’s major industry partners has experienced a refinery shut down which has affected its ability to supply diesel and mogas (petrol) into various pipeline facilities.
Douglas Mutimba, senior manager of Durban Retail/Commercial and Industry Fuels, said in the notice, that the affected refinery was currently working with industry and international partners to source product volumes to ease the impact on industry partners and customers.
Due to supply restraints, Chevron has rationed its supply of 500ppm diesel and mogas, which he said should last for 14 days or longer, while Chevron works to stabilise the situation.
Tony Ball from Bulwer Park Service Station said he received the notice on 22 October
“I have the capacity to fill up my tanks as my cash flow is engineered in that way. As soon as there is enough space in the tanks I fill them up to avoid embarrassment or getting a reputation of running out of petrol at the station.
“On 31 October my order for 32 000l was cut to 10 000l which immediately put me on the back foot.
“On Tuesday I only received 5 000l which ran out on Wednesday at 5.45pm. Chevron can’t tell me when more fuel will come. I usually sell 10 000l in one day,” he said.
Ball has had to send his staff home, which affects their wages, and only has two men to serve diesel, which he still has stock of.
“I look like an idiot and people think the owner doesn’t have enough money to buy fuel, which is not the case.
“We are required to hold three days stock according to a franchise agreement, which is fine, but now there’s nothing. They knew this was coming so they should’ve made another plan.
“I told them weeks ago that there should’ve been something in the media to warn motorists as this affects all Caltex stations in the area,” he said.
Ball apologised profusely to all his customers for the petrol outage, but said it was out of his control.
Comment from Chevron is forthcoming.
