Ampol has expanded its global search for alternative crude oil sources by turning to the United States as it seeks to shore up supplies amid Australia’s mounting fuel crisis, while also revealing that it will delay a maintenance shutdown of its Brisbane refinery.
Ampol chief executive Matt Halliday said the closure of the Strait of Hormuz caused by the US-Iran war was a “significant shock” to the global energy supply system and would drive up costs for consumers globally. He warned that although the pressure points on Australian supplies so far had been driven by surging demand, the longer the strait remained closed, the greater the impact would be on the availability of petrol, diesel and jet fuel.
