NZ Taxpayers' Union
FuelClock.nz
MethodologyTaxpayers' UnionDebt ClockFiscal Reality

NZ Fuel Reserves Countdown

Calculated:0s ago
low risk
00
Days
:
00
Hours
:
00
Min
:
00
Sec

Driven by Diesel — 38.05 days total supply (18.32d in-country + 19.73d confirmed vessels)

NZ Government Debt

Live
$289,289,000,000
Per household: $139,618
Per second: +$936.52/s
Per hour: +$3,371,461 · Per day: +$80,915,068
Source DebtClock.nz
More data available at FiscalReality.nz →

NZ Fuel Reserves

Calculated:0s ago

Estimated current reserves · MBIE data as at 11:59pm Sunday 13 September, 2026

Lowest reserve: Diesel at 38.05 days total (18.32d in-country + 19.73d confirmed vessels)

Diesel— Most Critical

In-CountryConfirmed vesselsLikely / ScheduledMSO
In-Country (Est.)
18.32d
196.02 ML
Total (incl. confirmed)
38.05d
407.13 ML
MSO threshold: 21d
Daily use: 10.70 ML
Confirmed vessels: 211.30 ML (19.73d)
Likely + Scheduled: 2.00d

Petrol

In-CountryConfirmed vesselsLikely / ScheduledMSO
In-Country (Est.)
22.42d
181.60 ML
Total (incl. confirmed)
43.08d
348.95 ML
MSO threshold: 28d
Daily use: 8.10 ML
Confirmed vessels: 167.30 ML (20.66d)
Likely + Scheduled: 2.00d

Jet Fuel

In-CountryConfirmed vesselsLikely / ScheduledMSO
In-Country (Est.)
30.92d
148.42 ML
Total (incl. confirmed)
40.45d
194.16 ML
MSO threshold: 24d
Daily use: 4.80 ML
Confirmed vessels: 45.70 ML (9.53d)
Likely + Scheduled: 2.00d

MBIE vs Actual Reserves

Calculated:0s ago

Compares the government's published MBIE reserve totals against confirmed reality: depleted on-land stock + AIS-confirmed vessel cargo. MBIE data as at 11:59pm Sunday 13 September, 2026.

FuelOn LandConfirmedActual TotalMBIE Claimed TotalDifference
Petrol22.42d20.66d43.08d43.92d0.84d
Diesel18.32d19.73d38.05d41.12d3.07d
Jet Fuel30.92d9.53d40.45d35.32d✓
All Fuels22.3d(wtd)18.0d(wtd)40.3d(wtd)40.9d(wtd)0.6d
Petrol
In-Country: 22.42dConfirmed: 20.66dGap: 0.84d
Govt claim: 43.9d0.8d unverified (2%)
Diesel
In-Country: 18.32dConfirmed: 19.73dGap: 3.07d
Govt claim: 41.1d3.1d unverified (7%)
Jet Fuel
In-Country: 30.92dConfirmed: 9.53d
Govt claim: 35.3d
In-Country Confirmed vessels Unverified gapTotal bar width = Govt's claimed total
Consumed since MBIE published:
Petrol: −7.18dDiesel: −7.18dJet Fuel: −7.18d
What's the gap? MBIE publishes a “total” that includes allvessels they believe are NZ-bound, including ships that haven't been confirmed by AIS tracking and are only likely or scheduled. Our “confirmed” figure only counts depleted on-land stock plus vessels we can verify via AIS (confirmed en-route or docked at berth having not docked since the most recent MBIE figures were released). The gap represents unverified supply that may or may not materialise depending on external factors.

Daily Consumption

Calculated:0s ago

Average daily demand (MBIE 12-month rolling): total 23.60 ML/day across all fuel types.

⛽Petrol
8.10 ML/day
17.5% of today consumed
1.41
ML today
0.34
ML/hr
5.6K
L/min
94
L/sec
🛢️Diesel
10.70 ML/day
17.5% of today consumed
1.87
ML today
0.45
ML/hr
7.4K
L/min
124
L/sec
✈️Jet Fuel
4.80 ML/day
17.5% of today consumed
0.84
ML today
0.20
ML/hr
3.3K
L/min
56
L/sec
Total All Fuels23.60 ML/day
0.98 ML/hr · 273 litres/second · 8.6 billion litres/year
Methodology: Average daily demand for the 12 months ending 4 months before the reporting period begins. Source: MBIE

Oil & FX

Fuel Prices

Vessel Pipeline

Supply Projections

Model:0s ago
MBIE published in-country history → today (incl. confirmed vessels)No Intervention (Baseline)Voluntary Conservation (10%)Government Rationing (25%)Emergency Lockdown (40%)
No Intervention (Baseline)
38.05days
Depletes ~28 Oct
Voluntary Conservation (10%)
42.28days
Depletes ~1 Nov
Government Rationing (25%)
50.73days
Depletes ~10 Nov
Emergency Lockdown (40%)
63.42days
Depletes ~23 Nov

NZ Government Bonds

Scenario Projections

Calculated:0s ago

Business as Usual

0.3x disruption

Normal supply chain operations with minor regional tensions.

petrol: 17.63d
diesel: 19.94d
jet: 24.17d
Critical: 8 Oct 2026

Prolonged Disruption

0.85x disruption

Extended Strait of Hormuz disruption. Partial rerouting via Cape of Good Hope.

petrol: 12.39d
diesel: 14.01d
jet: 16.98d
Critical: 3 Oct 2026

Full Crisis

1x disruption

Complete Hormuz closure. All Middle East supply cut off.

petrol: 11.46d
diesel: 12.96d
jet: 15.71d
Critical: 2 Oct 2026

SK Export Ban

1.48x disruption

South Korea halts refined product exports. NZ loses primary refining source.

petrol: 9.24d
diesel: 10.45d
jet: 12.67d
Critical: 29 Sept 2026

Government Response Options

Speed limit reduction (90 km/h)Mandatory 90 km/h open road limit saves ~5% petrol/diesel
+2.50 days
Odd/even rationingAlternate-day driving based on plate number
+5.00 days
Essential travel onlyLockdown-style movement restrictions for non-essential travel
+12.00 days
Airline flight reductions50% domestic flight frequency reduction
+8.00 days
Strategic reserve releaseRelease government strategic reserves (~7 days additional)
+7.00 days

AI Risk Assessment

Fuel News

Taxpayers' Union Media Releases

About the Fuel Clock

The Fuel Clock is an initiative of the Taxpayers' Union, built to provide independent, real-time insight into New Zealand's fuel security.

Official fuel data is often delayed and incomplete. By combining Government stock figures with live shipping and market data, the Fuel Clock gives a clearer, up-to-date picture of risk so Kiwis aren't left in the dark.

This isn't about alarmism. It's about transparency, and making sure the public has access to the information that matters.

Site built for the Taxpayers' Union by RB Alliance Ltd.

Data Sources

  • MBIE — Petroleum stock levels
  • Gaspy — Live fuel prices
  • DebtClock.nz — Government debt
  • AIS - Vessel information
  • Yahoo Finance - Bond Prices
  • Reserve Bank of New Zealand — Bond yields
  • Polymarket — Geopolitical risk

About

  • Why the Taxpayers’ Union created this site
  • Methodology
  • Neon-backed persistence with full audit trail
  • Open methodology — all sources cited

© 2026 New Zealand Taxpayers' Union Ltd. All data is indicative only and should not be used for trading decisions.