A month of Shell fuel shortage for Edmonton drivers

Shell gas stations across Canada's Edmonton city are still running dry on fuel as maintenance work at the local Scotford Refinery persists, reports the Edmonton Sun.

A month after the Scotford refinery suffered “unplanned” maintenance work, leaving half of the region´s Shell gas stations dry at the pump, some customers have managed to access limited supply as Shell fails to find alternative fuel sources.

“We are still conducting maintenance at the Scotford Refinery, and while that work is going on we continue to look high and low for product we can bring in to the Edmonton-area market,” said Cameron Yost, a spokesperson for Shell Canada Ltd.

The refinery, 40 km north of Edmonton, is responsible for supplying most of Alberta Shell stations. For the last month Shell had been searching to bring fuel from other sources, but had found it difficult due to the increased summer demand all over the U.S. and Canada.

“We have been looking to all corners, everywhere we can within the continent to see where we can secure gasoline to bring in,” Yost said.

He added that Shell understood the inconvenience the shortage posed for drivers: “The impact on us is less important than the impact on our customers. Being a driver myself, I know how frustrating it can be when you go to a gas station and there’s no gasoline available.”