Marsden Point Oil refinery
We are trying  bring awareness to the people of New Zealand, that we are now without a refinery, and the availability to process crude oil. The Crude oil that was brought into New Zealand was delivered by around 37 Crude Oil tankers each year, processed by our own Refinery and the refinished good quality fuel's were distributed around both north and south island's by our own two flagship's, but in April 2022, the refinery closed. It was said that we would need around 175 tankers a year, that's around one every two days to keep up with the demand of some of the finished fuel product that Marsden Point did produce over a yearly period. What is happening now should not be of any surprise.
what you should know about a partial or Full scale fuel supply disruption.

This is a multi level agency deployment
Legislation that will come into effect
Petroleum Demand Restraint Act 1981: Under section 4, the Governor-General may make regulations to restrain the demand for, or ensure the equitable distribution of, petroleum products that are in short supply.

Regulations made under section 4 may control, regulate, prohibit or otherwise make provision as to the acquisition, distribution, supply, storage, sale or use of petroleum products in New Zealand.
Regulations under this Act may only be made when the Governor-General is satisfied that reasonably available supplies of petroleum products are, or are likely to be, insufficient to maintain stocks at normal levels in New Zealand or parts of New Zealand.

Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002 s60(a): Requires lifeline utilities to ensure that they are able to function to the fullest possible extent, even though this may be at a reduced level, during and after an emergency. (Refer to Glossary for definition of emergency).

Oil companies and associated distribution companies are defined as ‘lifeline utilities’ under the CDEM Act 2002, Schedule 1, Part B (7):
“An entity that produces, processes, or distributes to retail outlets or bulk customers any petroleum products used as an energy source or an essential lubricant or additive for motors for machinery.”

Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002 s90: Provides requisitioning powers of materials, equipment and supplies where considered necessary for the preservation of human life.

A state of emergency is required to be in force in the area. Requisitioning powers are seen as a tool of last resort when the fuel sector fails to implement lead agency instructions and/or the measures in this Plan are inadequate to secure supply to critical customers.


“Don't ever take a fence down until you know the reason it was put up.

G. K. Chesterton

  1. The last two on the list are dated. Note: 2008 is the prelude to the heading document. National Fuel Plan

There are no records of how much fuels there is in any fuel storage facility.

Ports that can, and have gone over 20 day's between deliverer's of fuels are, Napier, Nelson, Timaru and Bluff..

Marsden Point, after reconfiguration can hold, 260 Million Liters, 160 for Domestic and Commercial use, and 100 million Liters for private use.

A LR2 Fuel Carrier can discharge 120 Million Liters of fuels, enough for 11 days of mixed fuels for the Auckland and Northland region.

Most vessels that port at Marsden Point go no further, however, some do but are much smaller LR1M's

Fuel capacity of an LR1M is approximately 63.8 Million Liter's of mixed fuel's.



Updated 14/04/2024 11:27pm