Japan Mulls Stockpiling More Petroleum Products

The Japanese government is mulling stockpiling more gasoline as part of emergency oil supplies in preparation for possible disasters, Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yukio Edano said Thursday.

Referring to severe fuel shortages in northeastern and eastern Japan after the March 11th earthquake and tsunami, which struck refineries there, Edano indicated the importance of storing refined petroleum products, including gasoline and heating oil.

At present, crude oil makes up more than 99 percent of national oil reserves.

His ministry plans to increase the percentage of refined products and stockpile them sufficient for several days in various locations.
As of July, the nation stockpiled 130,000 kilolieters (kl), compared with a stock of 50.1 million of crude oil.