Canada: Esso stations across the Prairies face fuel shortage

CALGARY – Esso stations across the Prairies are running low on gasoline and face rotating outages for the next few weeks, according owner Imperial Oil Ltd.

Operational issues have reduced output at the Strathcona refinery, forcing the company to ration supply to its stations in the Prairies and into British Columbia, Imperial said Wednesday.

The 187,000 barrel-per-day facility, one of the largest in Western Canada, started rationing gasoline and diesel Feb. 24, after problems in its fuel-processing unit forced it to run at reduced rates, said Imperial spokesman Gordon Wong.

“There likely will be sporadic outages at select retail sites over the next few weeks as we continue to work the repairs on the various units at the Strathcona refinery,” Wong said.

Edmonton Journal