ANP takes measures to facilitate fuel flow during coup blockades

The ANP (National Agency for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels) approved this Tuesday (1st) a series of measures to ensure that the country’s gas stations remain supplied, at a time when bolsonaristas coup plotters block roads across the country for not accepting the results of Sunday’s election (30), when Bolsonaro (PL) lost the presidential elections to Lula (PT).

At the end of inventories, the agency suspended minimum average weekly inventory maintenance obligations by distributors, since the product can be stopped on the roads waiting for the release of the lanes for longer than usual.

Aiming to make the trade flow, it released LPG (liquefied petroleum gas, or cooking gas) dealers to sell their products in cylinders of other brands in addition to those authorized to market and released Transporters-Resellers-Retailers (TRRs), companies that purchase large amounts of fuel for resale, to market regular gasoline and diesel oil directly with gas stations. Usually, only the sale of hydrated ethanol is allowed between the two parties.

Also, in terms of storage, the ANP authorized the assignment of space for the storage of products between different companies. In practice, this will allow distributors with a lot of stored product to store part of them in the facilities of other distributors or TRRs.

The ANP’s objective, according to a statement from the entity, is “to facilitate, within its legal attributions, the flow of products between storage locations and the final consumer.”

The agency emphasizes in the note that “an eventual risk of restriction in the supply of fuels, at this moment, is related to an interruption of logistical flows, due to blockages, and not to the offer (domestic production + import), to the storage capacity or to inventories held by producers and distributors.”

The measures take effect as soon as they are published in the DOU (Official Federal Gazette). and will last until the agency deems they are no longer needed.