New Zealand to assess fuel security, supply chain threats

SYDNEY, July 30 (Reuters) - New Zealand said on Tuesday it would conduct a study to review the country's fuel security requirements amid concerns any potential disruptions to the international supply chain could affect domestic supplies.

The Pacific nation, which imports all its liquid fuels, said the study will check demand forecast, engage with stakeholders across the supply chain and detect possible threats.

"We need to protect ourselves from potential crises at home and overseas and to put measures in place to mitigate and manage adverse impacts," Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones said in a statement.

Concerns over security of fuel supply have risen since New Zealand's only oil refinery closed in April 2022, just as global energy prices were rising as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Jones said the government would investigate the reopening of the Marsden Point refinery, which shut due to falling margins. An interim report on the reopening of the refinery is due before the end of 2024.

The Marsden Point now operates as a fuel import terminal, with most oil imported from refineries in Singapore, South Korea and Japan, official documents showed.

(Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)