Belize - Belize News - Channel5Belize.com - Great Belize Productions - Belize Breaking News
Home » Social Issues » Tanker late, fuel supplies low
Jan 8, 2002

Tanker late, fuel supplies low

Story Picture
The most common complaint by Belizean drivers about fuel for their vehicles is invariably the price. But with gas prices comfortably down from their 2001 highs, the latest problem is one of supply. Rumours of an impending fuel shortage fluttered around the city today and News 5’s Janelle Chanona got behind the wheel to check them out.

Janelle Chanona, Reporting

While it was business at usual at the six service stations within the city limits, gas station managers confirm that there is a problem.

Luis Martin, Manager, Shell One-Stop

“It’s true that the shipment is delayed a couple days, but Shell has a contract with Esso, and that’s the major provider for customers of good quality service and quality products.”

But some customers were taking no chances and stocked up on their fuel supplies. A few gas station managers were camera shy but did tell us that they had anticipated the problem and decided to order extra. Others had not planned on the shortage and at least one station ran out of diesel this morning.

Theories as to the actual reasons for the delay in delivery varied. One station told us he had been made to understand that there was no foreign exchange to purchase the fuel, while others contend that there had been a mistake by Esso in its scheduling of tanker arrivals. Senior officials of the industry tell News 5 that the reasons why some stations were experiencing supply problems were that estimates were thrown off by increased demands in the Corozal Free Zone. News 5 understands that as a temporary measure to maintain the local supplies, Esso had resorted to buying fuel from Guatemala to refill its tanks.

Luis Martin

“Esso bring fuel from Guatemala and that’s why the customers are still getting fuel right now in the country.”

Janelle Chanona

“And the Guatemalan product is the same as the one you were getting before?”

Luis Martin

“I can’t answer that question, but Shell has a formula that brings the quality to the same quality that it used to be before to the customers.”

Esso’s public relations officer Jose Espat says bad weather held up the tanker in Grand Cayman and that it should sail into Belize about 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

Ramon Gongora, Manager, Ramon’s Service Station

“I think the tanker should be in shortly and I don’t think…I won’t be running out I hope.”

Janelle Chanona

“The reason behind that was the scheduled arrivals of the tanker were too far apart? What was the problem?”

Ramon Gongora

“I don’t know really, cause that’s confirmed by Esso people. I don’t know, they only told me that it’s a limited amount and they cut down my order a little. But so far I’ve been supplied enough to hold me through, I haven’t run out as yet.”

One service station manager tells News 5 that thankfully this situation has occurred in what is dubbed “mawga season” and post holiday sales have been minimal. Otherwise, the cutbacks would have been a serious problem. Reporting for News 5, I am Janelle Chanona.

According to local service station managers, this is not the first time that fuel has had to be brought in overland from Guatemala to compensate for the late arrival of an Esso tanker.


Viewers please note: This Internet newscast is a verbatim transcript of our evening television newscast. Where speakers use Kriol, we attempt to faithfully reproduce the quotes using a standard spelling system.

Advertise Here

Comments are closed