Premium fuel shortage??

[nawarne]

Don't know wether other people are finding the same, but down here in Southampton, there appears to be a shortage of 97/98 octane petrol.

Tried 3 garages last night to top up before the Holidays and just managed to get £40 worth of Optimax before that pump ran out!!

Possibly due to the Buncefield Depot fire - I know we're working flat out in the refinery to make mogas and derv.

[Tripps]

On Sunday we tried four garages before getting some premium fuel, didn't think much about it at the time, but there's a thread on General Gaasing too...

[jonnyb]

E-mailed Shell and got this reply:


Dear Sir or Madam,
Thank you for your recent e-mail regarding Optimax supplies.
Following the recent incident at the Hemel Hempstead Oil Terminal, Shell is in the process of reorganising the current distribution of fuels for sites in the South of England.
To ensure the mainline grades of unleaded and diesel are kept in stock, the resource used for Optimax deliveries has been unitised to support these deliveries. Our distribution contractors are working to get extra resource to aid with mainline deliveries and allow Optimax to be dispatched to sites again. We anticipate that this will take several weeks to get all deliveries back to normal.
Shell appreciates your reliance on Optimax, and would like to thank you for your patience during this difficult period. Please be assured that we are doing everything to get all fuels to service stations.
Yours sincerely,
Matthew Wagster
Customer Relations - Retail
Shell U.K. Oil Products Limited
Rowlandsway House, Rowlandsway, Manchester M22 5SB, United Kingdom

[Tripps]

Eeek - thank god for my Red Rose button, as it looks I'll be suffering cheap and nasty fuel for the next few weeks then.

[john57]

I've just had no problem filling up my car with Optimax in Surrey .... the local garage only has two Optimax pumps and one of those was out of use after Buncefield but it's back on line now .......

[mark450]

Had the same problem in the Bristol area.

Went to 3 garages on Tuesday and thought I could make it to another according to the gauge - big mistake !

Result = sitting on the roadside for an hour waiting for a can of fuel.....



>> Edited by mark450 on Saturday 31st December 09:57

[Bob the Planner]

Interesting to hear Shell think the problem is only in the south. I tried 3 garages in York and none had any 97/98 octane fuel and all said it was due to the fire. Maybe they are spreading it thinly across the country.

[lundinoir]

No worries here as my Tamora RR runs fine on Optimax or the cheaper stuff.

[hood]

well i've just come back from the petrol station where i have put 52 litres of optimax in my Chim.
Glyn.

[MUSTANG BAZ]

Experienced problems in E Anglia pre-Christmas (2 petrol stations out of 97), but looking okay this weekend past in London/Surrey.

[alloypearltam]

We run the Tamora on 95 Ron fuel so no problems here, plus at the moment as it isn't useable it isn't burning any fuel.

I do know that the 2 Shell stations here around Chippenham/Pensylvania have been out of Optimax every time I pass. Haven't noticed an issue with regular 97 Super Unleaded.

>> Edited by alloypearltam on Sunday 1st January 20:09

[Hoover.]

Laughed at this post when I first saw it.......

Been driving the Griff all over the hols...... up near around Northamptonshire lucky to find petrol on boxing day out of 4 garages 3 only had diesel tractor comunities ....

yesterday... fueled up twice on 95ron .... only a tenner ago, hoppping next timw would be super

>> Edited by Hoover. on Monday 2nd January 00:54

[cerbagriff]

Left Guildford yesterday to go visit family in Essex, both Shell stations in town no Optimax, found one BP pump still running, then on way home Clacket Lane on M25 no superunleaded, Pease Pottage service on M23 no superunleaded, but finally found some Near Horsham. So much for sorting out the problems!

[Jasper Gilder]

No Optimax at any station with 10 miles of me and no clue when they'll be getting any , looks like I'll have to run the cerb on 95 and go gently

[Jasper Gilder]

But Tesco had some - phew!

[targarama]

jonnyb said:

E-mailed Shell and got this reply: Dear Sir or Madam, Thank you for your recent e-mail regarding Optimax supplies. Following the recent incident at the Hemel Hempstead Oil Terminal, Shell is in the process of reorganising the current distribution of fuels for sites in the South of England. To ensure the mainline grades of unleaded and diesel are kept in stock, the resource used for Optimax deliveries has been unitised to support these deliveries. Our distribution contractors are working to get extra resource to aid with mainline deliveries and allow Optimax to be dispatched to sites again. We anticipate that this will take several weeks to get all deliveries back to normal. Shell appreciates your reliance on Optimax, and would like to thank you for your patience during this difficult period. Please be assured that we are doing everything to get all fuels to service stations. Yours sincerely, Matthew Wagster Customer Relations - Retail Shell U.K. Oil Products Limited Rowlandsway House, Rowlandsway, Manchester M22 5SB, United Kingdom

So other customers are more important than us. OK Shell, we get the message. Time to try Tesco 99 - except there are no Tesco stations near me, but there are 5 Shell stations with Optimax. Bugger. Mine runs OK on 95 in this weather anyway ...

[anonymous-user]

Still no Optimax up here today.

[rico]

I don't use Optimax but the Shell I went into today on the A34 south of Newbury had no optimax at all.

[purpleheadedcerb]

Filled up with Optimax today at the shell garage Eastbound on the A43 outside Northampton.

[FourWheelDrift]

Seems to only be Shell's Optimax as BP's Ultimate and Tesco's 99 (with flake) are unaffected around here.