AVGAS shortage in SA?

[porridge]

Can anyone confirm that there is a shortage of AVGAS in SA due a problem ant the Natal refinery?
If so how is it going to affect GA and Flight Training?

[CathayBrat]

not just in SA! Not had any fuel delivery here for about 3 mths!! Also heard that Botts and namibia have run out. Guess there must be other places, would like to here from anyone else who has run out.

[farmpilot]

No AVGAS at FACT yesterday.......... They say two months before resupply:mad:

[Avi8tor]

Same probs at FAWB, had to pick up gas at FALA.

[GreenOnGo]

You have got to be kidding!! How did this foul up come about?

[Chopper 1]

This country is a joke. No electricity, no car fuel and now no avgas.I'm happy I only fly for fun and I don't earn a living from it. Is anyone going to take responsibilty? I doubt it.:*

[farmpilot]

Any news from the schools out there? Are they grounded?

[GULF69]

FIRST AVGAS DELIVERY INTO SA WILL BE ROUND 20 APRIL. THEN IT HAS TO GO TO THE REFINERY TO BE CHECKED (WHICH TAKES A FEW DAYS), THE ONLY THEN IT WILL BE DISTRIBUTED THROUGH THE COUNTRY.......

[farmpilot]

Gulf69

Will that be enough for SA? And what after that, will we still have problems?

[GULF69]

Probably not FARMPILOT, but like mentioned previously, its a world wide problem. Nothing much we can do about it. Best advice is to check with your destination if they have sufficiant Avgas to refill your aircraft before you depart... Going to a BP conference in PE for a few days as from tomorrow (5th) will keep you all informend

69

[flyboy2]

Fuel shortage became apparant in Friday31 March- 1st Durban , then Cape Town ran out of stock & now all of S.Africa, Namibia, Botswana.
Bad management & PRO. No advance notice heard.
As usual shipments per sea will eventually arrive from the Middle East.
Yes it means all Avgas using charter training , private aircraft will be grounded
Switch to diesel engines very pricey. Buying turboprops/jets only other option-if you can afford it !
Tighten your belts lads.:mad:
:ugh: :{

[Bob3213]

With no fuel, how am I going do my renewals!? :confused: Oh, and no more fuel in Swakopmund, Namibia - I took the last drop last night at 21:00. What has CAA got to say about this!? Or shall we all just blame "apartheid"!? :yuk: :yuk: :yuk:

[farmpilot]

Thanks Gulf69

It'll be interesting what's said at the conference.......

[Sir Cumference]

I read elsewhere that the facts are as follows: There are only four refineries in the world producing Avgas. Two in the USA and two in SA. SA normally export the majority of the refined Avgas for the rest of the world. One of the US refineries was closed and is still out of action after the New Orleans fiasco. The two SA refineries are both unservicable. That means that there is only one refinery in the world providing Avgas.

Now you see, Eskom, the refineries, the roads.... Where to from here. The above posts are correct in that there will be a fuel delivery in April with one month's supply with one in early May which is supposed to have a six month supply for SA. We wait with baited breath....!

SC

[Desperate Wannabe]

Our C210 stopped over in Polokwane Int on route to Blantyre this afternoon, and guess what........no gas, then hopped over to Pieterberg civil and uploaded the last of thier gas:uhoh: :uhoh: :uhoh:

[4HolerPoler]

Last one out turn out the lights.

What?..................Oh, OK, the lights are out already. :sad:

You can read all you like about this being a worldwide Avgas shortage but why isn't the rest of the world out of gas?

4HP

[zedflyer]

The AVGAS situation, is bad from Cape Town, all the way up to Tzn.
The Reason, (true/false, make your own mind) the refinery in Natal needed as service, upon completion to start the refinery up again...nothing happened. They put the WRONG parts in!!!!:\ There is a tanker from Aus on its way, supposed to dock in Durban, 20th April. AVGAS useres will be grounded for awhile.

[LadyHawk]

Can anybody confirm whether or not there is any avgas at Durban or Virginia????

[Desperate Wannabe]

Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mfuwe, Livingstone, Kasane.......no gas as of today, Mapacha limited reserves for local aries only, don't dispence into cans or forgien registed aircraft.:ugh: :ugh:
Just in case anyone was headed up that way.

[Coleman Myers]

Nobody will be suprised that there is no fuel in Harare then ?. Problem even in Kenya today ...

[GULF69]

...... another reason for the shortage:
When we had to convert to the lower emission fuels, new equipment was introduced into the refinery in Durban. One of the components became faulty when they started up, and they could not determine the problem right away. They then contacted the other 4 refineries in existance, being Australia, USA (east and west coast) and Middle east somewhere, i think. It just so happens that all the other were shut down at the same time, so we couldnt import from them!

It was something like that.......

69

[flyboy2]

From all over the bad news is; when each bowser /tanker is dry then Avgas supplies are finished. Certain places seem to have some leftovers.
Discovering who they are is part of the game !
However one heards rumours that certain people have managed to obtain a few drums, but of course unless there are thousands of drums , all Avgas users will be grounded for some time methinks !
Good luck all.
:ooh: :uhoh:

[Desperate Wannabe]

Strange that this seems to be a Air BP issue, Rand Airport have Engen as the supplier of Avgas, and no problem there.
They had a delivery today of 24 000L and they have another coming on Wednesday of another 24 000L:ok:even the little airfield of Brakpan, supplied by Engen has fuel.
Lilongwe, Blantyre, Livingstone, Kasane, Pietersberg, civil and international, Wonderboom, all out of gas..... all Air BP
Kind makes you think:confused: :confused: is it a BP / Engen issue or did the Rand Airport management just know who to bribe:uhoh: :uhoh:
Any way I just filled the Dak and the comamche as well as the Pacer today...just in case, we got just shy of a thousand gallons......i'm alright jack:D
Any thoughts on this?????

[Coleman Myers]

Or maybe ENGEN are just better organised that AIR BP

[flyboy2]

In the aviation world , there must be doom & gloom amongst all users of Avgas. Here follows a combination of snippets gleaned from several Press Releases -make of it what you will !
.
"The refinery is being modified to meet the new cleaner air legislation with work expected to be completed by next Thursday. "
"Shell spokesman Dennis Matsane said Shell was importing 2 000 tons of Avgas, which was expected to arrive on April 14, and a further 3 000 tons was expected on April 24."
"The problem started when Durban's South African Petroleum Refinery (Sapref), co-owned by BP and Shell, shut down production of Avgas at the beginning of the year when they had to make modifications in compliance of the new cleaner fuel legislation.
The refinery is being modified to meet the new cleaner air legislation with work expected to be completed by next Thursday."
"There are only four Avgas manufacturers worldwide and following the closure of the Durban refinery, two others shut down for maintenance, leaving only one responsible for the world’s supply. At the same time two other Avgas refineries shut down for maintenance, leaving only the US refinery to meet global supply demands. "
"This put strain on the system and now there's a huge demand on the refinery in the US to make enough Avgas,"said Kader Jacobs, BP Aviation supply logistics manager. said.
Reports from all main SA centres indicate a serious rationing so as to keep essential emergency services operational. In the neighbouring countries around Southern Africa , the situation is even worse as they are totally dependant on receiving supplies from the South African refinery, or importers.
So we can but wish everyone affected good luck that they survive this energy crunch.
:(

[jbayfan]

Just ferried a piston aircraft through Africa and there was plenty of Avgas. Refueling stops included Agadir in Morrocco, Bamako in Mali, Accra, Ghana (although they are experiencing jet fuel shortages), Libreville, Gabon and Maun (they were talking about an impending shortage and only allowing locally based aircraft to refuel there).

What should be more worrying is where the price of avgas is going to end up. Compared to Europe and most of Africa the price in SA is quite reasonable, but figures of R10 per litre in the very near future have been mentioned.