NEWS New Zealand’s Fuel Position Amid Strait of Hormuz Disruption – With a Focus on South Island Vulnerabilitie s (Mid-March 2026) New Zealand continues to sit one step downstream from the world’s biggest oil artery. Even though no Kiwi ships pass through the Strait of Hormuz and the country imports no crude oil directly, the disruption is already felt. Since the Marsden Point refinery closed in 2022, we import 100% of our petrol, diesel and jet fuel as finished products — mainly from South Korea (~45–48%) and Singapore (~34%), with smaller volumes from Malaysia and Japan. Those Asian refineries rely on 70–80%+ Persian Gulf crude (Saudi Arabia, Iraq, UAE and Kuwait dominant), almost all of which normally travels through the strait. Latest National Stock Figures (as at midnight 8 March 2026 – still the most recent public MBIE data, confirmed in the 12 March update) Petrol: 32.8 days in-country (onshore storage) + 25.2 days on water/in transit = 57.9 days total Diesel: 27.6 days in-country + 22.3 days on water = 49.9 days total Jet fuel: 32.3 days in-country + 14.3 days on water = 46.8 days total Overall onshore average: ~30.3 days Overall total average: ~52 days These remain well above legal minimums (28 days petrol, 21 diesel, 24 jet fuel onshore). The government and fuel companies report no major supply-chain issues yet, and Finance Minister Nicola Willis continues to describe supplies as “ample”. New Zealand is also contributing to the IEA’s global emergency release without touching our own physical stocks. The Full Supply Chain – And the Current Bottleneck Crude leaves Persian Gulf ports (Ras Tanura, Fujairah, Basra etc.) on giant VLCC tankers operated by companies like Sinokor and Korean refiner fleets. It is refined in South Korea (SK Energy, GS Caltex, HD Hyundai Oilbank, S-Oil etc.) or Singapore (ExxonMobil, SRC etc.). Finished product then travels on smaller LR2 tankers direct to New Zealand’s North Island import terminals (mainly Marsden Point/Channel Infrastructure, plus Auckland and Tauranga). Right now the choke point is upstream: seven South Korean-owned VLCC crude tankers (linked to HD Hyundai Oilbank and GS Caltex) are still stranded inside or near the Strait of Hormuz. Each carries up to 2 million barrels — together roughly 7 days of South Korea’s supply. These are exactly the tankers feeding the refineries that supply nearly half of New Zealand’s fuel. Several Asian refineries (including Yeochun NCC in Korea and plants in Singapore) have already declared Force Majeure, meaning they can legally delay or cancel contracts without penalty. South Korea is even discussing export bans on refined products to protect its own needs. Rerouting Around the Cape – Expensive but Not 1970s-Level Dire Most commercial traffic through Hormuz has dropped 90%+. Tankers that can are rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope — adding 10–14 days and huge extra costs (fuel, insurance, crew). Cape crossings have surged 35–89%. Partial pipeline bypasses (Saudi East-West to Yanbu, UAE ADCOP to Fujairah) help a little, but overall Gulf exports are sharply reduced. This is a logistical disruption, not a total production embargo like the 1970s. Stocks here are far healthier, global IEA buffers are stronger, and the world has diversified suppliers. Prices are climbing. How Fuel Reaches the South Island – And Why Regional Towns Are More Exposed All refined fuel arrives first at North Island terminals. It then moves south on a small fleet of coastal product tankers to South Island discharge points: Port Chalmers (Dunedin) Lyttelton (Christchurch) Nelson Occasionally Bluff From those ports it is trucked or distributed locally. The South Island has no large-scale direct imports and sits at the end of this extra domestic leg. That makes regional towns like Nelson, Christchurch, Dunedin or Invercargill marginally more vulnerable if coastal top-ups slow down. Important reality check on local stocks: MBIE publishes only national figures — no public breakdown for the South Island, let alone individual towns or depots like Port Nelson. The 30.3 days onshore average is spread unevenly; the big storage is concentrated around Marsden Point. Smaller regional terminals (e.g. Nelson) operate more like a “just-in-time” buffer for local demand (agriculture, freight, tourism, fishing). The companies that run those depots (Z Energy, BP, Mobil, Gull) know exactly how many litres are in their tanks at any moment — they monitor it 24/7 for operations and ordering. Exact local stock levels are treated as commercially sensitive and security-protected information. You’d likely get the standard reassurance: “We have sufficient stock for now, we’re monitoring with MBIE, no issues reported.” Other Voices and the Transparency Question Mainstream coverage and the government line remain calm. But alternative commentators Wise Response Society, Adapt Research , various social media Reddit threads are more urgent. They question whether the true “usable” onshore buffer is closer to 2–3 weeks, warn of cascading Force Majeure risks, and argue that New Zealand’s end-of-chain geography makes us especially exposed. Many are calling for far greater regional transparency — exactly the point you raised: communities and local councils should know roughly how much is physically stored in their town or city so they can plan properly. What the Government Is Doing – And Practical Advice We are still at Level 1 of the National Fuel Plan — voluntary demand restraint only. The Fuel Sector Coordinating Entity meets twice weekly; a ministerial group is ready with the Petroleum Demand Restraint Act if needed (carless days, purchase limits etc.), but nothing has been triggered. For now the official message is clear: Don’t panic-buy – more so in small towns and cities as supply isn’t local Combine trips, carpool, work from home where possible Drive efficiently (tyres, steady speeds, remove roof racks) Prioritise fuel for emergency services, supermarkets and freight Outlook Nationally – officially they say we still have comfortable breathing room 30 days onshore + 22 days on water. The pain right now is mainly higher prices and airline fares, not empty bowsers. But the seven stranded Korean tankers and Force Majeure declarations mean the pipeline of future shipments is tightening. For South Island regional towns, the extra coastal step adds a layer of vulnerability that the national averages don’t show. Greater transparency about local storage — even high-level ranges per region — would help everyone make smarter decisions and build resilience. The situation remains fluid. The next MBIE https://www.mbie.govt.nz/about/news/fuel-stocks-update Apps like Gaspy.nz or PetrolSpy – Australian but does NZ nth and sth - free, user-reported are gold for real-time comparisons — they track Waitomo, NPD, Gull, etc., and show live prices by location. weekly update is expected around Wednesday 18 March. If you’re in Auckland you’re closer to the main import hub; if you’re further south (Nelson or beyond), keeping an eye on coastal movements and driving thoughtfully makes even more sense right now. ( Source )