Australia Assures Fuel Stock is Safe until May

JAKARTA - The Australian government has ensured the safety of national fuel supplies until May amid rising tensions in the Middle East and volatility in the global oil market.

Australian Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen said current fuel supplies were expected to be sufficient through April into May.

"Now the condition is safe from April to May. All orders have been locked and contracted. After being contracted, the fuel belongs to the Australian company that bought it, so it is legally guaranteed. This is exciting," Bowen told the ABC broadcaster, as reported by ANTARA from Sputnik, Monday, April 6.

Previously, Australian authorities said their fuel reserves were only enough until the end of April, and are now trying to ensure supplies in the next month.

Meanwhile, the number of fuel filling stations throughout the country that have run out of solar fuel has reportedly decreased and is currently recorded at 274 locations.

On February 28, the United States and Israel launched an attack on a number of targets in Iran, including the city of Teheran, which caused damage and civilian casualties.

Iran then retaliated by attacking Israeli territory as well as US military facilities in the Middle East.

Escalation of the conflict in the region has led to a de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the main route for shipping oil and liquefied natural gas from Gulf countries to global markets.

The situation has also affected oil exports and production in the Gulf countries and pushed up global energy prices.

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