|
I apologise if this is old news, but I have just filled up at my local Shell station and I noticed that they had no optimax. The Lady in the shop explained that the recent fire at the oil refinery has had a severe impact on supplies of optimax. Shell?s policy is to supply the limited stocks available only to their larger filling stations. Clearly my local one is not deemed as being larger enough, cannot see it myself; they are always rushed off their feet when I go in.
|
I've filled up twice in the last two days - both at fairly large Shell stations that I always use. One near Liverpool and the other near Manchester.
It never dawned on me at the time but there was a pump in each cluster of pumps with one of those yellow plastic things on them at both stations - I presume it was Optimax but I wasn't paying attention.
Maybe the problem is as widespread as they say.
Don't panic Mr Mainwaring - DON'T PANIC!!!
|
|
|
|
Ah, I noticed this too when I went to my local Shell station!
|
|
Maybe in other areas they have suspended supply of optimax and increased the supply of premium to make up for the lack of Buncefield in it's conurbation. I doubt Buncefield would directly effect any station more than 60 miles away. It is more the knock on effect in my guess.
|
Two points: a tanker driver I knew who worked at Buncefield sometimes had to deliver to places as far away as Bristol. That is certainly more than 60 miles away.
Secondly, I don't see why the supply of Optimax should be affected by the Buncefield fire more than any other type of Shell petrol, since it's just a question of different additives. If they've got the petrol, they can stick the Optimax stuff in it. On the other hand, maybe the sales of Optimax are so small Shell is better off selling their normal stuff.
|
|
Shell Optimax isn't just an additive in ordinary petrol, it is completely different ingredients-wise and is only made at a few refineries, hence regional variations in availability even without Buncefield. It's all explained on their site.
|
|
|
|
|
Optimax is still available up here, but it could be just what was left of remaining stocks.
|
Optimax has been unavailable around Luton for at least a week. The staff don't have a clue why, or perhaps they do and are not saying.
To quote a Shell manager, "Shell Optimax is only manufactured at the Shell Stanlow refinery and is distributed to all parts of the country from there."
My first thought was that it had been bought up when the premium grades had been exhausted and that the spike in demand caught out Shell at the refinery level. It's the only Shell fuel that's pure Shell, so they could not buy in base stock from other refiners (as they do routinely for their other fuels) to catch up with demand.
|
|
Could it possibly be that the tankers have been re-routed or are operating from a different depots to make up for the depot fire. And as such are prioritising on unleaded/ diesel or possibly tanking aviation fuel instead.
|
|
|
|
|
filled up at my local Shell last night.They ONLY had optimax.No diesel or 95ron
|
I've stopped off at Shell at Burnt Common a couple of times since Buncefield, first time it only had Optimax, last night only Optimax and regular unleaded - annoying for an oil burner like me.
Were there a lot of tankers lost at Buncefield? That could lead to erratic shortages of any grade.
Dan
|
|
I guess that if the Optimax has all to travel from Stanlow it is very expensive in terms of tanker hours and mileage. Following the fire, tanker hour-miles are in short supply, so a decision may have been made to limit the distribution of the hour-mile extravagant product.
|
And everyone laughed at the panic buying! ;-)
--Lee .. Get out the Alumnium pole-Happy Festivus!
|
|
I think the shell garage at farlington in Portsmouth has run out too. As when I went to fill up earlier (not with optimax) but that pump was covered with that yellow box they use at all filling points.
|
|
|
|
|
The Shell garage 15 miles east of Plymouth on the A38 is low on Optimax, only 1 or 2 out of 6 pumps being in service.
|
There was no Optimax in either of the 2 Shell petrol stations that I tried in Bracknell last night. The one on Bagshot Rd was out of Diesel too.
Ended up filling up with BP Ultimate.
|
The texaco at the OK Diner on the A1 was very short on diesel. 1 pump working.
------------------------------
TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
|
One reason for sporadic suplly?
Maybe they had to shut down refinery production?
The production is a continual process, it can't be switched on and off like a tap. Once their buffer storage is full, they would have to cease production, I believe they could have been making fuel at a rate greater than the system could now absorb, so they probably shut down a refinery or at least some of it's lines.
|
Lots in Shell Congelton, Cheshire..
You southerners don't deserve any I reckon...
madf
|
|
|
|
