(CRI)
Updated: 2007-11-22 16:56

Guangzhou, capital city of southern China's Guangdong province, has recently announced an emergency plan to guarantee the city's supply of refined oil.

Guangzhou's authorities have stated that the city will conduct surveillance of over 60 gas stations at the provincial level where PetroChina and Sinopec refined oil is sold and make stocks that fall below a minimum level than an alarm raised. This will also occur if monthly supplies in the city fall short of an 80 percent mark.

The emergency plan will take effect when one-third of the gas stations under surveillance are found to be short of oil or diesel stock for more than 4 hours, the Guangzhou-based Information Times reported on Thursday.

According to the emergency plan, PetroChina and Sinopec, the country's top two oil firms should report their supply budget of refined oil to the Municipal Economic and Trade Commission on a yearly and monthly basis, and daily release volumes as well. The reported data will be further reported to senior decision-making departments.

In the instance of critical emergencies, the city will instigate a surveillance network that covers 60 gas stations affiliated with the two major suppliers, the paper said.

In terms of oil sources, local oil branches are required to closely cooperate with municipal headquarter to ensure the timely release of oil products onto the local market.

Meanwhile, as a highlight of the plan, oil can be directly sold to enterprises to solve the crisis. The emergency plan also states that the city shall use its own municipal oil stores when the two major suppliers cannot 100 percent guarantee round-the-clock services or when enterprise are forced to shut down due to a lack of oil.

The emergency working group can apply for the execution of the emergency plan in the following cases:

First, when one-third of gas stations affiliated with the city's two major oil providers under surveillance are facing a shortage of oil or diesel for more than 4 hours, and vehicles queuing up for gas exceed 50.

Second, the plan also applies when the stores of 10 major diesel using enterprises under surveillance cannot hold on for four days after the alarm is raised.

Third, at a time when an oil supply crisis arises following the acute fluctuation of the refined oil market, due to war, natural disaster and international sanctions.