News that the Coryton Oil Refinery in Essex has halted supplies, after its Swiss-owned parent company had gone into administration, could be bad news for British motorists.
The lack of supplies from the plant, which is one of eight in the UK and a key supplier of fuel in London and the South East, could equal a price increase in the first instance.
A greater concern is that there could be serious risks to forecourt availability.
Government ministers have quickly moved to calm fears and advise against panic buying. Oil minister Charles Hendry is quoted in the Telegraph as saying: "We don't want everybody to go out and get it [fuel] tonight, because that clearly wouldn't be helpful, people need to be completely confident that if they go about their business as normal then there is completely enough fuel available and that BP and Shell have been going to great lengths to make sure that is the case."
This hasn't stopped motorists, as there are already reports of petrol stations in the South East running out of petrol and diesel.
The Coryton plant was previously owned by BP and was only shut down after talks with lenders to Zurich-based owner, Petrolplus broke down. 1000 jobs are at risk.