A source with the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) stated to Egypt Oil&Gas that the oil and gas sector received governmental instructions to stop pumping diesel and mazut to electricity power plants. The directives came as the fuel consumption at the plants has decreased during winter months

Egypt will further witness maintenance work in electricity generating power plants before summer 2017 to prepare the plants for the injection of natural gas and to avoid any power crisis.

The source explained that the received instruction urges saving the volumes pumped to electricity stations in order to secure a strategic reserves of petroleum derivatives that will cover 30 days’ needs. These reserves are meant to be used in case of any crisis in the local markets. This comes in line with the application of the second phase of fuel smart cards that will be responsible of distributing subsided benzene and diesel through filling stations across the country.