Fuel Shortage?

[tom]

I am due to travel over to central France on Sunday, could anybody advise on the fuel situation. I can get back to the UK if i fill up just north of Paris, any comments welcome.

[Chancer]

Against all my principles I have just filled up here in Picardie, I still had a gallon in the tank and would not normally have bothered for another week or so but I have to go to my nephews funeral any time soon and my sister would never forgive me if I could not get there.

The service station was certainly much busier than normal but drivers were filling their tanks rather than panic topping up, 37 litres and 50 liters the ones I saw, the price had also gone up to €1.15.

Hard to say how it will be by the time you or I travel, the blocus in the south should not affect us in northern France as we have refineries at Dunkirk etc and fuel can come in from Belgium, it will be panic buying that creates any shortages which I have just contributed to [:(]

In any case the autoroute sevice stations should be the last to sell out given their outrageous prices, no Picard is going to pay that much plus a toll ticket to squeeze in a few more litres.

[Etoile]

'Panic Buying' is an often used term, but in reality if you stock up on extra something in the light of a possible shortage you are not panicking - you are simply being cautious.

Unless drivers take empty jerry cans with them they can only fill their car's tank - not really an opportunity to panic.

[MrCanary]

So, like Tom who started this thread, I am arriving in France in the next couple of days...

Are there plenty of stations selling diesel, are they closed, or what is the actual situation please?

[Jay]

I would monitor the fuel queues with Google mapping

[Chancer]

[quote user="Etoile"]'Panic Buying' is an often used term, but in reality if you stock up on extra something in the light of a possible shortage you are not panicking - you are simply being cautious. Unless drivers take empty jerry cans with them they can only fill their car's tank - not really an opportunity to panic.[/quote]

Well it seems that many people here share your view and are responsible for many service stations running dry today.

There is no penurie of fuel here, no delays of delivery but the deliveries cannot keep up with the demand from cautious motorists, untill they ran dry the service stations were selling the volume in one day that they would normally sell in a week [:(]

Looking on the positive after 4 days or so everyone should have a full tank.

[woolybanana]

Talking to the motorway service station chap this afternoon, he says they can keep going for another eight days at this rate of consumption, after that, kaput!

[Etoile]

[quote user="Jay"]I would monitor the fuel queues with Google mapping[/quote]

What actual website are you referring to? I am interested in this but cannot find it.

[Jay]

It was a joke.....

http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/2294112/ShowPost.aspx

[Etoile]

What a shame. Perhaps though we could persuade filling stations to have webcams so we can monitor their queues. That would also spread the demand for them.

[Gardian]

I appreciate that the OP's question was about the situation further north, nonetheless it might be helpful for others to know that the situation down here seems to be pretty 'relaxed' (probably the general Midi attitude to life!) .

No more than a couple of cars queueing at each of the 3 petrol stations that we passed.

Anecdotal evidence from our neighbour's fioul delivery driver - "There's 2 months stock of carburant".

[velcorin]

Yes, there are the 60/90 Day Intervention Stocks, supposed to be for war, held at the refineries. No Western country to my knowledge has ever released these stocks to the general public. The Dwarf is considering it, according to media briefings. Issue would be the massive public humilation for him, and actually getting the stocks out of the refineries. They are not connected to the remote teminals, via the pipeline network. Maybe he intends to use the Army? Again, massive humilation. It looks like the syndicats have found France's economic heel, and they will play it to the max. Will he give in?

[Gardengirl]

There was no petrol to be had at our local Carrefour, Gardian, and they had no idea when a delivery could be expected. But supplies do sound very patchy.

I thought the following might be useful; it was posted in another forum by mpprh, who posts on here sometimes:

 

Google translation of article in L'independant today ( lindependant.com/articles/2010-10-13/le-risq… ) :

PUBLISHED 15H13'02.

Motorists could start running out of fuel next week if strikes that block 8 of the 12 French refineries persisted, but service stations will continue for now to be fueled by petroleum deposits. Total group announced Wednesday it would stop its six French refineries because of the strike against pension reform launched Tuesday. Turn refineries "is incompatible with normal operation for safety reasons," said a spokesperson.

In addition to movement on pensions, the company suffered the blow-cons strike oil terminal at Fos-Lavera, which forced its La Mede refinery to halt its activities on Sunday by a lack of crude to be processed. In total, eight refineries, representing over 70% of sector capacity, are under arrest or being shut down, according to the French Union of Petroleum Industries (Ufip). And among those that turn, some are affected by partial strikes while others are idle for lack of crude. Despite the magnitude of the movement, manufacturers are trying to stall. "For consumers, it makes no difference because the distribution depots will continue to operate," said Jean-Louis Schilansky, president of the Ufip.

France has 219 deposits of oil that feed 12,500 service stations. "The situation is worrying but it remains under control," Judge Alexander also Benoist, Chief Executive of the Union of independent petroleum importers (IPU), which represents supermarkets. "By Saturday, it will not happen much. It was not until the end of the week to assess the scope of the current movement and whether it is renewed or not," says de Benoist. Some stations have already struggling to replenish, he admits, but this is mainly due to precautionary purchases made by motorists worried. "Our customers are flocking to our stores, with sales increases of 50% compared to the same day last year, even doubling in some cases," he says. This rush to the pumps is noticeable in Rennes (Ille-et-Vilaine), where several rows of cars with unusual length have been recorded by AFP on Monday and Tuesday at the entrance stations. "People tell us they are afraid the shortage. Yesterday, we made three times more than usual," he told AFP an official at BP service station in Amiens (Somme).

In Marseille, the cashier station Agip spoke of "people from making full and fill jerry cans." According to a spokeswoman for Total in the region, there are traffic jams in the depots to load fuel. "No one can say how long it will take" as many unknowns exist (refinery production, strike Port of Marseille, purchase of care), said M. de Benoist. One thing is certain: prices will rise because the fuel is increasingly imported from abroad, says the official employer. "If the situation remains what it is, it will look very seriously the issue of strategic oil stocks," warns Dr. Schilansky. France has strategic reserves representing 98.5 days of oil consumption, consisting of 60% and 40% for refined products of crude. The country thus has nearly two months of reserves of fuel. "It has something to take seriously," notes Mr. Schilansky.

[velcorin]

Maybe I misheard the radio chatshow, maybe they weren't talking about the NATO stocks. The distributors have some sort of reserve stock which has been authorised for release. Doesn't make it clear how much there is.

http://www.lemonde.fr/depeches/2010/10/14/les-operateurs-autorises-a-utiliser-leurs-reserves-de-carburant_3208_38_43622633.html

[Gardengirl]

Just read this in the paper: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/8061880/French-warned-not-to-panic-buy-petrol-as-strikes-continue.html

[pachapapa]

Factrice told me this morning that E Leclerc had  had a delivery this morning, as she accepted the envelope containing my cheque for € 62 addressed to the Taxe Foncière at Lille. As a result, I bought forward by one day my weekly shopping day and also visited the petrol station.

[PaulT]

[quote user="gardengirl "]Just read this in the paper: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/8061880/French-warned-not-to-panic-buy-petrol-as-strikes-continue.html

 [/quote]

I wonder what effect telling people not to panic buy - or fill your tank up in case, which ever you prefer.

I bet the only thing it achieved was a stampede.

Paul

[pachapapa]

Frankly never get steamed up as petrol is rarely a problem; most of consumption is diesel.

In any case there is a rural G20 Superette close by which never runs out and their prices are low.

[virginia.c]

Of course! Hadn't thought of that one! Does any one else have any experience of petrol supply shortages either on autoroutes from Calais to Limoges or locally in dept 24?

Many thanks

[Pickles]

This morning the Carrefour near Montpellier has run out of SP98, queues slightly longer than normal but nothing even remotely mad. SP95 and Diesel available.

Regards

Pickles

[pachapapa]

[quote user="velcorin"]

Maybe I misheard the radio chatshow, maybe they weren't talking about the NATO stocks. The distributors have some sort of reserve stock which has been authorised for release. Doesn't make it clear how much there is.

http://www.lemonde.fr/depeches/2010/10/14/les-operateurs-autorises-a-utiliser-leurs-reserves-de-carburant_3208_38_43622633.html

[/quote]

10 days.

[Loiseau]

No petrol or diesel to be had on Noirmoutier island (85) on Tuesday 12th. Having only been in France 24 hours I had not realised that this was an issue, and was down to the yellow warning light.

I eventually filled up (phew) at an off-the-beaten-track Intermarche on the mainland, which had run out of 95, but still had 98 and diesel.

Farther inland, on Wednesday I noticed the local village garage was limiting sales to 15 euros-worth per person.

Angela

[Gardengirl]

We had an email last night from our walking group in 30 to say Tuesday's walk has been cancelled and a very local walk is to be done instead. The original walk was to start just a few km away, but the email said people are having difficulty filling up. Our walks are for people from a fairly small area, so as well as Carrefour being out of fuel, the two small garages and Intermarche nearby must also have problems.

[dragonrouge]

I simply have to get back to the UK on the 25th of this month for a court case and am delaying the decision making until nearer the time. It is said that this week roads may be blocked by the Routiers? Also have to take my wife to CHU at Nantes on Wednesday have enough fueld but if the motorway is blocked then enough said.

What to do is I suppose all the back roads but that would take hours and then fuel?

The French certainly make themselves felt I wonder what they would do if faced with the Chancellors statement of Wednesday next another revolution like 1787?

[Gardengirl]

Very difficult, dagonrouge. Would it be possible to consider taking a train for either of these trips? I know trains are affected by strikes, but fuel wouldn't be a problem then. Good luck with Wednesday and your UK trip.

I've just this minute heard there'll be strikes in Belgium tonight, affecting Eurostar to UK.