Tema, June 14, GNA - The Management of Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), has attributed the shortage of diesel in the country to the receding level of the Volta Lake and expansion works at Accra Plains by Bulk Oil Storage Transport Limited (BOST).

It explained that the level of the Lake had made it impossible to freight petroleum products to Buipe depot rendering the depot that supplied the northern sector inactive.

The Accra plains expansion works expected to be completed by the end of June has also reduced the loading days from six to three days. These were contained in a statement issued at Tema on Wednesday and signed by Mrs Aba Lokko, Public Affairs Manager of TOR. "Consequently it is only the refinery loading gantry which delivers petroleum products to the whole country, thereby putting it under enormous pressure," it added.

It said measures including the extension of loading days, time at the refinery, Takoradi depot and suspension of on-going Accra plains depot works for a week had however, been put in place to deal with the situation

TOR management also assured the public that the situation was under control and would return to normalcy soon.

Meanwhile a visit round some filling stations in the Tema Municipality by the GNA did not show any sign of shortage as there were no queuing vehicles at filling stations as usually with fuel shortages. However, at the Total filling station at Community Two, the station attendant who pleaded anonymity said they had placed order for diesel for the past week and were expecting delivery soon. 14 June 06