<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>As the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/middle-east" rel="" target="_blank" title="Middle East"><span>Middle East</span></a><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/israel-iran-conflict" rel="" target="_blank" title="conflict"><span>conflict</span></a><span> continues to drift into unchartered territory, </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/fuel" rel="" target="_blank" title="fuel"><span>fuel</span></a><span> fears continue to escalate and </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/petrol-prices" rel="" target="_blank" title="prices"><span>prices</span></a><span> are skyrocketing around the world.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Prices are reaching close to $3 a litre for petrol and diesel in parts of the country, and some petrol stations in both cities and rural towns are running out altogether.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/government" rel="" target="_blank" title="government"><span>government</span></a><span> has insisted there is no issue of </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/oil" rel="" target="_blank" title="fuel"><span>fuel</span></a><span> supply, but how much fuel is actually left in </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/australia" rel="" target="_blank" title="Australia"><span>Australia</span></a><span>?</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/7-eleven-fuel-lock-customers-complain-app-feature-for-cheaper-prices-is-not-working/66bb6df2-c798-46d3-b4a3-26aa87ea2beb" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>7-Eleven faces complaints over 'disappearing' fuel price lock feature</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>How much fuel does Australia have left?</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It is difficult to come up with an exact figure of fuel that Australia can use, but energy minister Chris Bowen gave a hint in an interview yesterday.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Supply of petrol has gone up a little bit, [we have] 38 days worth of supply," he said on ABC's Insiders.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/fuel-shortage-how-much-does-australia-have-left-explained/f266e2d2-6b91-4166-8f7e-bb424620cc09" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Diesel and jet fuel [are] both at 30 days, which is pretty flat and that indicates that while we've released more from the strategic reserve, the ships continue to arrive in good numbers.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Bowen said the figures were updated just a day before, and he insisted Australia's refineries were working at full capacity and only focused on getting fuel to Australian suppliers, not foreign exports.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>This has remained steady at levels seen at the start of the conflict earlier this month.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/petrol-prices-fuel-shortage-us-israel-iran-war-poll/02a537c7-5e01-4ea6-9a6e-15ff7ead3976" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Almost a third of Aussies changing driving habits as petrol prices explode</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>Where does Australia get its petrol from?</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australia gets most of its oil from overseas; in fact, just 10 per cent comes locally.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>That said, almost none of it comes from the Middle East region; instead, Australia gets much of its oil from </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/asia" rel="" target="_blank" title="Asian"><span>Asian</span></a><span> countries.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>While you may think this means Australia shouldn't be hit hard by a conflict in the Middle East, think again.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/south-korea" rel="" target="_blank" title="South Korea"><span>South Korea</span></a><span> and </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/singapore" rel="" target="_blank" title="Singapore"><span>Singapore</span></a><span> are the biggest suppliers of Australia's oil, with </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/malaysia" rel="" target="_blank" title="Malaysia"><span>Malaysia</span></a><span>, India, Taiwan and China also contributing highly.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>However, these countries get most of their oil from the Persian Gulf region, including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the UAE, Qatar and Oman.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>All of these countries have not only been impacted by Iranian strikes, but are also unable to get ships through the Strait of Hormuz due to Iran's blocking of it.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/petrol-prices-new-zealand-hit-4-dollars-a-litre-australia-fuel-shortage/16027cc8-5e3b-4e9e-b79c-d80224c9d4ae"><strong><span>Think Australian petrol prices are bad? NZ soars past $3 a litre</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>Will Australia have to ration fuel?</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It was something whispered quietly last week, but governments at all levels are insisting fuel rationing will not be required at the moment.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>However, some experts claim fuel rationing would actually be a smart option to help ease the fuel crisis.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It is better to act sooner rather than later given our limited reserves and the spectre of early fuel price buying, queuing and hoarding," former head of the ACCC Allan Fels said today.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"There's already discussion of some relatively soft steps which could include rationing of access to petrol based on odd/even number plates; driving every second day; working from home and speed limits.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"One problem with soft approaches (often proclaimed by governments with much fanfare) is that rather than reducing demand, they induce a rush to the bowsers by a public troubled by the adoption of rationing."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>And even though the government is quick to discount the need for fuel rationing, if the war goes on for much longer than expected, it may be unavoidable.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Obviously, this is a function of how long this conflict continues, and that's not something that I can answer in terms of what's going to happen," Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said last week.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/fuel-crisis-australia-energy-minister-flags-work-from-home-as-sensible-option-for-millions/24b49ae8-9b6b-4cc7-8afd-02a569645e11"><strong><span>Why work from home is a 'sensible' option for millions in fuel crisis</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>When was the last time Australia had fuel rationing?</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australia has not rationed fuel since 1979, and ironically, that had something to do with events in Iran as well.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Back then, workers at fuel refineries in the country went on strike, which combined with fuel supply disruption caused by the Iranian Revolution, forced the government to take action.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Before that, the last time wide-scale fuel rationing was implemented was during World War II.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>When will fuel prices go down in Australia?</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It all depends on when the cost of oil overall goes down.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>At the moment, the cost remains high and could get even higher still as the conflict disrupts global trade and forces the cost of oil to remain at an elevated cost. This was also seen during the early days of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>LIVE UPDATES:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-iran-war-live-updates-march-23-donald-trump-latest-world-news-headlines/ab76975a-165f-4487-9116-2b60ba5a4a4e" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Aussie industry on its knees issues dire warning</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Higher demand at the pumps also doesn't help as people continue to hoard and panic buy petrol.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Governments at all levels have urged Australians not to do this, as it can actually compound the problem of fuel supply and the cost of petrol at the pump overall.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><strong><span>NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></strong></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><em><strong><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" rel="" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>Apple</span></strong></em></a><span> </span><em><strong><span>and</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" rel="" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>Google Play</span></strong></em></a></li><li><em><strong><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" rel="" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>ticking this box here</span></strong></em></a></li><li><em><strong><span>Sign up to</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" rel="" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></strong></em></a></li></ul></div></div>