Refinery to be dismantled before petition is reported – Social Credit

The Marsden Point oil refinery is likely to be dismantled before Parliament’s Petitions Committee tables its report on an 18,300-signature petition calling for the refinery to remain operational.

The petition was presented to Parliament by Dr Shane Reti on December 8 on behalf of Social Credit who initiated it, but the committee only considered it last week – 13 weeks later.

In a letter yesterday to committee chairwoman Jacqui Dean of National, Social Credit Leader Chris Leitch said: “Last week the refinery received its last shipment of crude oil from overseas. Once this has been addressed, the refinery shutdown will begin. It will be in just 18 days.”

The committee has now requested additional information, presumably from government departments and industry players, all of whom have already provided extensive information that formed the basis of a cabinet paper presented by Energy Minister Megan Woods to the cabinet. last September.

“This process means the final report is unlikely to be tabled in parliament until mid-June at the earliest and likely much later than that,” Leitch wrote.

“At that time, the refinery will be completely closed and its dismantling may well have begun.”

“If your committee reports to Parliament a recommendation in favor of the petition, then it will be a wasted effort by some 18,300 New Zealanders to have their voices heard on this critically important energy security issue. vital”.

“Continued operation of the refinery has become even more critical given the spike in fuel prices following the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.”

“There is a very real likelihood of a global shortage of crude oil and refined products as countries like the United States and those in Europe scramble to replace Russian oil which they will no longer import as a result of sanctions. against Russia and try to find alternative sources”.

“It seems incomprehensible that the committee did not treat this matter with much more urgency.”

Unfortunately, it appears that despite large stocks of crude oil at Taranaki, in the event of a disruption in international fuel supplies, New Zealand will not have the capacity to process its own oil to keep the essential services.