BTW the world consumes about 13 million tonnes of oil (crude) per day, therefore this total lost would be 1/132 of daily consumption.

Conclusion: No big deal.

Those firefighters are the real heroes of our culture. Say what you want about 9/11 or Chernobyl, or this tragedy. Those guys (and gals) are the ones who save lives or die trying.

Priority for dry petrol stations

The Buncefield depot fire caused extensive damage Most petrol stations running out of fuel are being restocked within a few hours of running dry, fuel suppliers have said. Motorists have been facing shortages in the aftermath of the Buncefield oil depot blasts and a seasonal peak in petrol sales.

The south-east of England and the Midlands have been worst affected.

Suppliers say garages out of fuel are being treated as a priority and that shortages will be short-term.

A series of explosions destroyed the Hertfordshire depot - the fifth largest in the UK.

Damage to the distribution terminal, owned by Texaco and Total, has hit the supplies of a number of petrol retailers with fuel being brought in from elsewhere and lorries forced to travel greater distances.

The situation has been made worse by high demand in the run-up to Christmas.

Extra deliveries

The Petrol Retailers Association said up to 60 garages - in the Midlands, central London, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire - had so far run out

Texaco said the shortages had hit only a handful of its sites and it had implemented extra deliveries.