[April 26, 2006] Government, refiners move to prevent oil shortages Tweet (FnWeb.com Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)fnWEB - Bangkok - April 26, 2006 - Thailand's government and oil firms are jointly taking prompt measures to cope with possible shortages of fuel, but while oil prices are speculated to fall later this week, so far, falling consumption is due to cost rather than supply. Energy Policy and Planning Office director general Metta Banturngsuk announced that the authorities, oil refineries and trading firms are taking steps together to assure petrol will be sufficiently supplied to domestic markets nationwide, though oil prices had climbed sharply since earlier this month. Nonetheless, Mr. Metta commented, the world oil prices would fall as early as Friday if the United Nations adopted a resolution to contain Iran's nuclear threat. Oil reserves in Thailand are currently sufficient for 40-days, the chief of the Energy Policy and Planning Office said. The public, especially motorists, are advised to not panic over predicted oil shortages in Thailand because, Mr. Metta said, the Government will find ways to preclude such possibilities. As part of their preventive measures against oil shortages, oil refinery and trading firms will inform the authorities of their daily production as well as import and sales volumes. Small gas stations had closed not because of short supply, but apparently due to the rising oil prices, which had already seen domestic consumption of diesel drop from 55 million litres to 51 million barrels per day and gasoline from 20 million litres to 18 million litres daily, he added. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]