Australia's government has relaxed its gasoline fuel standards to allow local refiner Ampol to channel around 100 million litres per month, equivalent to around 21,000 b/d, of its export-grade gasoline into the domestic market for the next 60 days, according to a news release published Thursday by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water or DCCEEW.

The move comes as a widening Middle East conflict stokes fears of a global energy supply crunch.

Australia lowered the sulfur limit in its gasoline to a maximum of 10 ppm in Dec. 15, 2025. The caps were previously at 150 ppm for regular unleaded 91 RON and 50 ppm for premium unleaded 95 RON.

Ampol's 109,000-b/d Lytton refinery produces around 40,000 b/d of gasoline, an analyst said. The country's only other refinery, Viva Energy's 120,000 b/d facility in Geelong, is already producing the 10 ppm grade.

The additional supply resulting from the new directive "will help relieve pressure on distribution chains disrupted by elevated demand," the release added.

According to DCCEEW data published earlier, the nation held around 1.563 million litres of gasoline as of March 3, which is 46% above the minimum stockholding obligation or MSO. The volume held is equivalent to 36 days of gasoline supply.

Under the MSO directive, importers and refiners must maintain at least 1.067 million litres of gasoline, equivalent to about 27 days for importers and 24 days for refiners.

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--Reporting by John Koh, jkoh@opisnet.com; Editing by Mei-Hwen Wong, mwong@opisnet.com

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March 12, 2026 06:05 ET (10:05 GMT)

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