Australia’s Minister for Energy has made it clear that the government won’t consider buying Russian fuel, despite the US doing so.

Australia will not consider buying Russian diesel, despite the United States (US) planning to buy millions of tons from the sanctioned country.

Australian Minister for Energy, Chris Bowen, said he didn’t want Russian fuel in Australia, after US President Donald Trump announced on social media that the US would acquire millions of tons of diesel from the Eastern European country.

“We don’t need or want Russian fuel in Australia. We have the arrangements in place as best as we possibly can with our trading partners to ensure that Russian fuel doesn’t flow to Australia,” Bowen said.

“That policy is not changing, will not change. We do not want Vladimir Putin to benefit from this war in the Middle East. What the United States does is a matter for them, but we won’t be changing our approach.

“…we’ll continue to have the very, very firm view that Russia should not be rewarded for their illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine by any arrangements put in place as a result of the Middle East crisis. But, as I said, policies for other countries are a matter for them. We have our policy, and it’s very clear.”

Bowen said the government was trying the “best as we possibly can” to prevent Russian fuel reaching Australia. However as Drive has previously reported, it can be difficult to completely prevent Russian oil products reaching Australian browsers.

Intermediary countries such as India might import and refine Russian crude oil into fuel, and when Australia buys that exported fuel, it can be difficult to know whether it was made from Russian oil.

President Trump said the total quantity of diesel supplied by Russia would depend on the state of Russia’s oil refineries, which have been a target of Ukrainian attacks as war continues between the two countries.

“I have just concluded a highly successful discussion with President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, wherein it was agreed that Russia will immediately supply over 300,000 Tons of Diesel Fuel to the American and Global Marketplace, another 500,000 Tons during the month of November, and 1,000,000 Tons immediately thereafter,” Trump wrote on social media.

“Additionally, based on the condition of their Diesel Refineries, Russia will then deliver, within a short period of time, 3,000,000 Tons of Diesel Fuel.”

Earlier in Saturday’s press conference, Bowen told media that despite international fuel security remaining “difficult”, Australians could be reassured that domestic fuel supplies remained steady.

“Australia has 43 days worth of petrol, which is two days more than my update last week. We have 31 days worth of diesel, which is one day less than last week’s update, and we have 30 days worth of jet fuel, which is two days more than last week’s update,” Bowen said.

“We have 51 ships on the way to Australia with fuel, and we have 3.2 billion litres of various types of fuel locked in and contracted to be delivered over the next four weeks.

“So these are figures that are consistent with the updates I’ve been providing Australians every Saturday for the last six months. I think it gives Australians reassurance in a difficult period that we continue to have the fuel we need.”

“The situation internationally remains difficult. I was in Saudi Arabia two weeks ago, getting the latest on the situation from my Saudi Arabian counterpart.”

“I met also with senior representatives of the Saudi Arabian Government this week at Pre-COP and obviously, we continue to see attacks in Saudi Arabia, but I do have confidence that the Saudi Arabian Government is taking steps to ensure that the fuel is flowing as well as it possibly can be.”

Bowen also hinted there were more details coming regarding Australia’s capacity to refine and store fuel domestically, saying he has been in regular contact with the bosses of the nation’s two fuel refineries.

Extracted in full from:  https://www.drive.com.au/news/australia-wont-follow-united-states-decision-to-buy-russian-fuel/

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