An update to the Minimum Stockholding Obligation has been published today:
Fig 1: Chart published by the DCCEEW
https://www.dcceew.gov.au/energy/security/australias-fuel-security/minimum-stockholding-obligation/statistics#download
…and presented by the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Energy Minister Chris Bowen who held a press conference in Sydney, providing updates on Australia’s fuel security amid the ongoing Strait of Hormuz crisis.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1267977772145573
This happened in the context that there was some hope and excitement about the Strait of Hormuz opening, but this is on Iran’s terms:
Fig 2: Iran’s Foreign Minister setting record straight on free Hormuz passage
There is some movement of tankers in Hormuz today:
Fig 3a: Note the tankers with Indian Crews or destination vying for preferential treatment by the IRGC
Fig 3b: Return to station: As you were
Let’s look at the timeline of MSO publications:
Fig 4: MSO diesel stocks have stabilised at around 2,800 ML
At the same time, the February 2026 data of the Australian Petroleum Statistics have been published now. Diesel stock levels were 2,379 ML end February 2026. MSO levels are higher because the DCCEEW is also counting stock in tankers in the EEZ, while APS includes stock in tankers only in domestic waters, in practice in vicinity of ports, waiting offshore for a berth in a port as shown in this screenshot of Marine Traffic on 17/4/2026:
Fig 5: Tankers waiting offshore Sydney as port and tank farm infrastructure is too weak
Daily updates can be found here:
Tankers arriving and departing in Sydney
https://crudeoilpeak.info/tankers-arriving-and-departing-in-sydney
Fig 6: Updated Diesel import graph for February 2026
We see that the 12 month averages of diesel imports have peaked at 2,650 ML in February 2024.
