Switzerland launches emergency situation oil stocks on refinery closurePosted by Bager Conway on February 24th, 2021 Switzerland has launched emergency stocks of oil products as a result of the unintended shutdown of its only operating refinery, Cressier, and low Rhine water levels, Lucio Gastaldi from the Federal Workplace for National Economic Supply said Tuesday. Gastaldi stated the country would certainly launch 50,000 cu m of diesel and also 40,000 cu m of gas-- concerning 2.5% to 4.5% of the country's total supplies for both polished items. "3 points occurred at the very same time," stated Gastaldi. "The Cressier closure, low water degrees on the Rhine and also railways going to full capability." This is the first time Switzerland has utilized its emergency situation supplies given that November 2010, when a strike at French refineries curbed the amount of oil products shipped by pipeline to the nation. The 68,000 b/d Cressier refinery closed down last Wednesday because of a leak in the warmth exchangers, stated operator Varo Power. Cressier is the last operating refinery in Switzerland after Tamoil's Collombey plant shut at the end of February due to inadequate margins. Gastaldi said the supply launch is only momentary and could last for around 10 days, time for the refinery to return to production. Additionally, water levels on the Rhine have been reduced given that July because of warm and also completely dry weather condition in Germany and also Switzerland, obstructing the circulation of barges bring oil items and limiting the amount of resupply. Water levels at Kaub in western Germany-- which serves as a beneficial proxy for general Rhine navigability-- were measured at 77 cm at 13:00 neighborhood time (1200 GMT) Tuesday, down 5 cm from 24-hour previously as well as around 64% listed below the level at the very same time in 2014. The lowest ever tape-recorded degree at the town was 35 centimeters back in September 2003, according to German government rivers information. " dtpmp chemical are there for precisely situations similar to this and also it's going to rainfall at some point so the supplies can be changed. It's not like there isn't oil in storage in Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp [trading hub]," stated one investor. "I'm not hearing of any rainfall ... Kaub degrees are due to get to mid-60 [centimeters] degrees by the end of the week," claimed a second investor. Oil product markets including diesel as well as fuel are well supplied at the moment, yet low water degrees on the Rhine and also the Danube have actually produced oil supply concerns for Germany, Switzerland as well as parts of Eastern Europe. Oil containers in ARA are mainly full presently, partly as a result of the circumstance on the Rhine.Like it? Share it! More by this author |