Amount of fuel flowing at Co-ops still limited

Refinery complex says it does not yet have a timeline for return to full service

While fuel trucks were moving again Friday at the Co-op Refinery Complex (CRC), the company says it still has no definitive timeline on when things will return to normal at gas stations and Cardlocks.

“We are identifying areas where there are fuel shortages, and once we identify those we will use Regina as the orbit, the CRC, to get fuel to those communities,” Brad Delorey, CRC spokesperson, said Friday. “It is being worked on.”

Regina police officers closed a section of road that ran in front of the refinery late Thursday night, and by Friday morning fuel trucks were flowing in and out of the CRC through police checkpoints.

The trucks had unfettered access to the refinery for well over 16 hours, but Delorey was unable to say how many litres of fuel came out.

Earlier in the week Federated Cooperatives Ltd. (FCL) CEO Scott Banda said fuel shortages at Co-op gas were looming as the barricades, which Unifor first established on Jan. 20, had effectively caused a number of gas stations to run out of fuel.

However, Unifor put the blame for any shortages on the company for locking out workers and not negotiating.

FCL set limits on Co-op Cardlocks in Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan of 300 litres of diesel and 100 litres of gasoline per day, per card holder.

Winnipeg is among the communities hit by the fuel shortages, with some Co-op gas stations running out.

Delorey said the situation in Manitoba hasn’t changed, but the CRC would work to refuel those stations.

Some emergency services sounded the alarm on restrictions for many small-town communities in Saskatchewan that rely solely on Cardlocks.

“Our first priority is to provide fuel to emergency service providers,” said Delorey. “They will get the fuel that they need.”

Kelly Prime, president of Paramedic Services Chiefs of Saskatchewan,

raised concerns this week for rural EMS crews grappling with the restrictions.

Prime said Friday there has been no direct communication from the FCL or CRC, but he was told emergency crews would not be exempt from the Cardlock restrictions. But some local Co-op owners have filled that gap.

“Local Co-ops have supplied fuel trailers for ambulances,” said Prime. “They’ll open the store late at night if we need fuel ... whatever we need, they are willing to do.”

According to Prime, there have been no reported delays in service since the CRC imposed fuel restrictions, but he said emergency services aren’t out of the woods yet.

“It could still go south. That’s depending on what happens on the picket line and at the bargaining table,” he said.

According to Delorey, approximately 20 per cent of all fuel produced at the CRC is transported to market by pipeline, but supply has not kept up to demand.

Banda said that at this time of year, 250 B-trains a day, carrying refined petroleum products, would be shipped out of the CRC, accounting for approximately 13,750,000 litres a day.

On Jan. 31 barricades around the CRC temporarily came down as members of Unifor and FCL management sat down for a bargaining session.

Talks quickly broke down and the barricades were re-established, but during the day Co-op shipped 7,000,000 litres of fuel out of the refinery.