Shell stations in St. Albert remain open despite the pumps being dry due to a problem at the company’s Alberta refinery.
Shell gas stations in St. Albert and the Edmonton area have been short or out of fuel for weeks now after some “unplanned” maintenance work at the company’s Scotford Refinery near Fort Saskatchewan.
So far, the stations, including the three in St. Albert, remain open but with their price signs set to zero. Cameron Yost, a spokesperson for Shell, said the company hopes to restock them soon.
“We know this is an inconvenience and can be frustrating for customers,” he said.
Yost also could not comment on specific locations and whether employees are missing work hours. But many of the gas stations remain open despite the shortage, he said.
“Our Shell stations sell more than just gasoline,” he said.
The shortage is not a first for Shell. Stations in Edmonton and Calgary also ran dry last August after an operational problem at Scotford. This year, there are “many things” that limit Shell’s ability to produce fuel at this plant, said Yost.
He added that fuel supply from other refineries is difficult to come by because demand for gasoline is higher than usual in the summer.
“There will be an end to this,” he said. “It’s a little hard to say when that is right now. We are looking high and low to get gasoline pretty much anywhere we can.”
