Insufficient strategic reserves, hundreds of gas stations in Australia are "out of fuel."

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Australia is deeply mired in a fuel supply crisis. As the US-Iran war enters its fourth week and maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is obstructed, this country, which is highly dependent on imported refined oil, is facing an unprecedented energy shock. Hundreds of gas stations have successively run out of supply and reserves are critically low.

Energy Minister Chris Bowen disclosed to the federal parliament on Monday that over 109 gas stations in Victoria have run out of at least one type of fuel, 47 stations in Queensland have run out of diesel, 32 have no regular unleaded gasoline, and 37 stations in New South Wales have exhaustively run out of all fuel types.

Meanwhile, Bowen also revealed that six refined oil tankers from Malaysia, Singapore, and South Korea originally scheduled to arrive next month have either been cancelled or delayed. The federal government is urgently seeking alternative sources of supply.

Fuel reserve figures are equally alarming. Bowen stated that current gasoline stocks can only last about 38 days, while remaining reserves for diesel and aviation fuel are just 30 days. The nationwide farmer community has issued an early warning that diesel and fertilizer stocks are running out, just as the timeframe coincides with a critical period for agricultural production.

Supply Shortage Spreads, Multiple States On Alert

The geographic scope of the crisis is expanding. Earlier, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns warned that the state now has 105 gas stations completely depleted of diesel. According to The Guardian, Energy Minister Bowen has yet to disclose the supply situation for Western Australia, Northern Territory, South Australia, or Tasmania, meaning the actual number of affected gas stations could far exceed the publicly available figures.

The cancellation or delay of six oil tankers has directly increased market concerns about subsequent supply. In an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Bowen said, "The flow of oil to Asian refineries has slowed and this has a downward impact on us." He also tried to reassure the market, stating that supply disruptions are more likely to occur in "phased fluctuations" rather than a sudden complete shutdown, and the government will work with refiners and importers to minimize the impact as much as possible.

Insufficient Reserves, Policy Flaws Revealed

The deep-seated root of the current crisis lies in Australia's long-standing energy security loophole. According to international norms, Australia should maintain a 90-day strategic fuel reserve, but when the crisis broke out, actual reserves were only about 30 days—far below safety standards.

Analysts point out that Australia's high dependence on imported refined oil, coupled with aggressive bets on green energy transformation, leaves it with almost no buffer when the globally critical energy passage of the Strait of Hormuz is obstructed.

To make matters worse, a large domestic fertilizer factory in Australia has been shut down for two months due to damage, further exacerbating the global fertilizer supply shortage, and its chain impact on agricultural production has already begun to appear.

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