Subscribe Sign in

Business

Saudi oil crisis is about to hit Europe, could Australia be next?

2 min read Rewritten in plain language

EconomyEditor S Choice

Show what we removed Rules applied: A1×2 A6 C5 D1 D2×5 D3×4 E3×7 all 30 rules
  • Europe's latest oil problem might feel a long way from Australia.
  • Saudi Arabia has been forced to cut some shipments to Europe after drone attacks damaged its East-West Pipeline.
  • The route has become especially important because it allows Saudi crude to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.
  • One reason is that Saudi Arabia has found another way to move some of its oil.
  • The ACCC says changes in international benchmark prices can take around 2 weeks to flow through to fuel prices in Australian cities.

5 sentences from our version of the report, chosen to cover it. Nothing here is written; every line is in the article below. How

Headline check

All two things this headline claims are in the report.

Figures, names and quoted words in the headline, looked for in the report itself — not in the summary above. How this is checked

Read the full reportHide the full report2 min

Europe's latest oil problem might feel a long way from Australia.

But I wouldn't be so quick to ignore it.

Saudi Arabia has been forced to cut some shipments to Europe after drone attacks damaged its East-West Pipeline.

That pipeline carries oil from the kingdom's eastern fields to the Red Sea.

The route has become especially important because it allows Saudi crude to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.

However, that backup route has now been shut off.

And while Australia doesn't rely heavily on Saudi oil, we could still end up feeling the impact here.

Saudi Aramco has reportedly cancelled some September cargoes to European customers, while others have been delayed.

Polish refiner Orlen responded by securing 16 replacement cargoes from suppliers including Norway, Algeria, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and the Americas.

That shows us just how quickly buyers are having to look elsewhere. And the more refiners chasing replacement barrels, the more competition there is for the same supply.

Brent crude is still trading above US$100 per barrel after jumping earlier this week, although prices have pulled back from their recent highs.

One reason is that Saudi Arabia has found another way to move some of its oil.

The kingdom has been offering more crude to Asian refiners through ship-to-ship transfers near Oman, while loadings from Saudi Gulf ports have increased.

Yes, but the impact here won't necessarily be fuel shortages.

Australia imports fuel from a number of countries across the Asia-Pacific. Its two remaining refineries in Brisbane and Geelong produced around 20% of the country's annual fuel needs in 2025.

That means Australia isn't in the same position as European refiners trying to replace lost Saudi supply.

Most of our imported refined fuel comes from Asia, while local petrol and diesel prices are heavily influenced by Singapore fuel benchmarks and the Aussie dollar.

So, if higher crude prices push fuel prices up across Asia, Australian motorists could end up paying more at the pump.

The ACCC says changes in international benchmark prices can take around 2 weeks to flow through to fuel prices in Australian cities.

Australia does at least have some protection if the situation gets worse.

During the June quarter, our fuel stocks averaged around 44 days of petrol, 36 days of diesel, and 31 days of jet fuel.

The government is also working towards a one-billion-litre strategic fuel reserve, along with higher minimum stockholding requirements.

So, I don't think Australia is about to run out of fuel any time soon.

But if the problems in the Middle East drag on, Australians will end up paying more at the petrol station.

You are reading our version, not theirs. This is The Motley Fool Australia's report with its verdicts and loaded words taken out. Plain description stays, and so do adjectives that carry a fact, such as "former" or "federal". The reporting, the facts and the quotations are theirs — quotations are never edited — and the indicators beside it measure this version. Hover or tap Adjectives to see every one left in the text.

How this outlet filed it, and how we rewrote it

No other newsroom we read has filed on this event, so there is nothing to compare it with yet.

Outlet Niral ScoreAdjectivesSentimentHappiness
The Motley Fool Australiaas they published this story 17.1 9 -0.2 47.5
Mundane Readneutralized from The Motley Fool Australia 14.8 7 -0.2 47.5

Sign in to react.

Comments

Nothing here yet.

Sign in to comment.

Questions

Readers can ask a question about this story here. Questions and answers are for subscribers. Sign in to read them.

Comments are read before they appear where anything in them needs a person to look. Nothing posted here is ever deleted; a comment taken down keeps its text and the reason, so the decision can be looked at again. How this works