A Bali fuel shortage has left residents and tourists facing hours-long queues at petrol stations after a disruption to the island’s fuel supply chain.
The disruption began when a tanker carrying 22 million litres of diesel suffered a mechanical anchor failure off Bali’s coast, delaying the unloading of its cargo at a major port in Denpasar.
Although the fault was resolved, the delay affected distribution to fuel depots and led to shortages in tourist areas including Denpasar and Badung.
Many Australian tourists and expatriates have reportedly struggled to find taxis, hire vehicles or obtain fuel for their own transport. Some people have chosen to walk long distances rather than wait in queues or for taxis that do not arrive.
Petrol in Bali can cost as little as 90 cents a litre, but supplies of subsidised Pertalite — widely used in mopeds, motorbikes and cars — have been difficult to find. Even where Pertalite or Pertamax has been available, long queues have caused widespread traffic delays and disrupted businesses and other services.
In response, Bali Governor I Wayan Koster ordered government employees to work from home for three days from Thursday. Schools and universities were also instructed to close and move lessons online during the same period.
Bali fuel shortage prompts warning for Australia
The disruption has prompted a warning about the vulnerability of Australia’s fuel supply. The head of energy research at MST Marquee said the scenes in Bali showed how quickly conditions could deteriorate in a tight market.
“It’s another signal of how tight the diesel market is and we are not out of the woods on this front,” he said.
He recently said Australia was “at the top of the list” of countries likely to be affected by major global fuel shortages.
“Australia is a large exporter of just about everything. The one thing that we’re not is on fuel,” he said.
“And so that’s our one vulnerability. And so now I think that is the case to say we have to build that sovereign capability again. So we’re at least partially self-sufficient once more.”
The Indonesian government has promised fuel deliveries around the clock and said petrol stations will remain open at all hours as supplies are restored.
Mr Koster said the shortage should be resolved within seven days and urged people not to panic, saying more shipments were expected to arrive during the week.
The wider global fuel situation was further affected on Friday after two ships were sunk in the Strait of Hormuz amid continuing conflict over the key trade route. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps has claimed it will attack multiple ships each night.
