Wol

It's now well over two months since premium petrol was available in NSW, and both Shell and BP have variously denied a problem or said there's nothing unusual going on.

I played golf with a chap last Sunday, who runs a Caltex station: he used to work at the refinery and said that 25 years ago the cat cracker was held together with sealing wax and string and that no money had been spent on it. And therefore a complete rebuild is going on.

Months? Years?

A first world economy? Please don't make me laugh!

bcworld

Yeah I heard from a friend in Sydney the other day who's car requires 95RON+ petrol......reckoned he couldn't get it anywhere. There must be a heck of a lot of people in Sydney with shiny Euro $$$ cars that specify premium fuel????

quoll

I need 95+ - just as well I seem to only have to fill up every couple of months because there is none here either.

Red_V_Roger

Having been round quite a few 'key' producers of things in the last 6 months...I think generally sealing wax and string (better known as duct tape) is a good opinion of operations.

Worse still appears to be the use of cheap Chinese equipment that is clearly dangerous...i.e. not guarded or eathed properly etc..but is used becuase it is 'cheap'. Genuine Oz companies making law abiding equipment are losing a lot of orders because of this.

Wol

Please don't get me started on Chinese junk!

Chinese factories often have the very latest machine tools etc, but components come from all sorts of suspect sources and the ethos of "Quality" control is lacking, judging from the rubbish that is on the shelves everywhere in the world.

You can buy Chinese "stuff" at a quarter of the price - and when it burns out/breaks down/explodes you can't get spares or any service. We waited two months for a spare belt for a Chinese vacuum that broke after a few weeks. The rubber was junk.

Red_V_Roger

I had a customer phone me up the other week for parts for his UK made machine that is 40 years old and I sorted it out for him no problem. Then he told me that he had just bought another similar machine from China..because it was cheaper than our current model.

Do you think he will still get parts from China in 40 years time?

Wol

The owner/manager of the local glass treatment firm has bought Italian machinery - three times the cost of the "equivalent" Chinese machines. Competitors have the cheap stuff and can undercut him - in theory: actually, their machines break down all the time and they have to have Chinese sent out to fix.

Pomster

it is not because the refineries use cheap equipment....they are extremely complex and a planned shutdown is a major event.

As oil companies are considered to have very deep pockets, everything they do with regards to safety, have to be completely above board.

MartinLuther

We've got tonnes (litres) of the stuff down here even the good stuff 98. Come down and get some.

Hutch

Could be wrong, but I could have sworn the little NRMA garage in Berry had the premium stuff...

I'll check for you tommorow if you're desperate for it, Wol.

Vash the Stampede

Ah, good old Wol.

Asking the tough questions ("Where can I buy petrol?"), tackling the big issues that rock the nation ("I can't seem to find any petrol...") and ruthlessly outspoken in his criticism of two foreign companies ("Shell and BP won't sell me any petrol, the bastards!") but still blaming Australia ("I blame Australia for the behaviour of these foreign companies, one of which is actually British!")

Next week: "The continuing (lack of) white bread saga".

Stay tuned!

Vash the Stampede

Caltex sells premium unleaded, btw.

Red_V_Roger

Can't say too much...but you may not be that far off the truth!

stuckinblighty

Bread costs an arm and a leg in Aus

Red_V_Roger

Its more generally that UK supermarkets sell bread as a loss leader...however, their 'losses' are generally pushed down the chain to the baker, flour miller amnd farmer who all suffer.

I think Oz bread prices reflect nearer the true cost - especially with world wheat prices at record highs.