Heads Up Guys, I'm currently in the Oasis hostel in Ulaan Baatar (with Kestral-Klr). The 4x4 travellers here with us have a problem due to the lack of diesel. Apparently the Russians have cut the supply due to political issues!!. It could be petrol next. So anyone heading this way keep an eye on the situation. Other than that the country is beautiful!!
Pooley.www.pooleglobaltrek.com

Thanks for the info. Even if the Mongolia fuel depots have petrol, if there's no diesel, the tankers can't run, so no petrol at the stations. Let us know if more details become available.

I faced this situation in Zimbabwe in early 2000 after Bob Gabriel Magobeee didn't pay his bills.
cheers
C

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We have send email to mongolia to check the situation, if there is a real problem i have to change my plans for july. going from holland to china by Mongolia.
Answer 3 June email from guesthouse Oasis

YES there is a HUGE Diesel and Problem at the moment!
Cars are standing for hours in town to get diesel and THEN you can only get diesl if you have a special card and then ONLY 15 Litres per day.

That’s at the moment….we do not know how its going on……..
Benzin at the moment no problem.

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This is very useful to hear. We (1 Italian and 1 Dutch guy) intend to enter Mongolia via the Altai region, approx end of June, beginning of July. Now in Uzbekistan. It seems fuel is also an issue at some places here due to some disussions between Kazakhstan and Uzebekistan. Could anyone who is aware of the Mongolian situation please update in the coming days/weeks. Many thanks, Tijs

I will do that, hope that situation becoming normal!

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Hi there,

I'm entering Russia tomorrow (hopefully) from Finland and then will be heading for Kazakhstan (in 3 weeks) and Mongolia (in 7 weeks ish). I drive a diesel Land Rover so will be very interested in any news people on the ground can give.

Cheers, David

If you have a coupon card for diesel the lines are long for 15 Liters diesel when the stations have it, Russia is re-stocking there fuel before they export it, could be four more weeks. I heard the west of Mongolia has less than the east of Mongolia. Bear in mind this is information relayed to me by a Diesel user.

Critical diesel shortage threatens Mongolia - Focus discussion - People Forum

http://www.bikinionlineshop.com/blog/?p=867

Bus fare has increased : InfoMongolia.com : News and information about Mongolia, Mongolian language lessons

We keep in contact with Guesthouse Oasis the know the situation at the moment, in western Mongolia there is less fuel (especially Diesel) than in the east!!

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The situation today is not in favor of driving with a Diesel car in the country.
Check again before entering with your diesel car. The situation might change, the government is negotiating with neighbor countries to solve the issue.

The government has halted supply of diesel to some of the mines.
The train has suspended train routes with low demand to save fuel.
Supply to countryside gas stations has been cut down.

Gas stations have increased diesel price from 1470MNT to 1650MNT and prices will continue to rise if the crises will not be solved soon.

Gas stations will supply only 15 liters for each car. They will not sell diesel for cash, only special coupons and fuel electronic cards are accepted.

The implication for tourists is that tourists can not purchase diesel these days.

The cause for diesel shortage
Ninety percent of petroleum products is imported from Russia. Russia has a domestic problem of fuel supply shortage. Deliveries have failed to reach countries outside Russia. China has also halted petrol exports to minimize risk of future fuel shortage in China.

Keep yourself updated before entering, I hope this issue will be solved soon.

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hi pietsky, any problems with benzin yet? any limitations? We'll be leaving Turkey in a week for Mongolia.

Benzin no problem at the moment in Mongolia.

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Anyone in Mongolia have an update on the fuel situation please ?

We are running bikes on petrol(benzine) east to west and we do know of others in diesl vehicles going that way so any information would be welcome.

Thanks

Martin

Martin

It is a bit hit and miss I am afraid. Re Diesel it is very bad (heard from folks at Oasis and Vait at Steppenfuchs). Diesel had been restricted to whom it is sold and if you got permission to purchase (by getting hold of a card) you were then restricted to only 15L per day... The quantity restriction is staying in place - but there were stories yesterday that the card restriction / permission issue is to be lifted. But hasn't yet started to be implemented apparently...

re Benzine - that's available, but obviously Benzine is delivered to remote areas by Diesel fuelled trucks and that's where the problems have started to show themselves...

Benzine supplies have become "patchy" across the country according to Vait.

Latest news in "writing" on forums is here: Diesel crisis - Lonely Planet travel forum

My news comes from email and Facebook exchanges with Vait and the guys at Oasis... Vait says that the "news" of the acquisition of the diesel supplies will (if true and not a political PR exercise) only have a slow impact in the remote areas and UB and the mining industry will the first beneficiaries...

Long answer short... It is still hit and miss and problems for diesel vehicles are a lot worse than they are for Benzine ones... But be alert, think ahead as problems exist for both - particularly in the remoter areas...

Simon

Thanks for the research Simon.

Our bikes are stuck in a container in Vladivostok harbour so we will not be getting to the Mongolia border for a good couple of weeks yet so things may improve but who knows !

We haven't had many folks turn up at Hotel Vladivostok who have come in from the west via Mongolia (probably just a couple of weeks too early) so not much news at the moment.

Martin

We head to Mongolia in about 2 Weeks. We want to enter in the West and heading East to UB. We can do 500km with one fuel tank and another 200km with canisters. Has anyone news about the situation off the cities?
What about the quality of the fuel? We will bring 25 liters of >90 octan fuel to mix up. But what you normally get at the petrol station? We read about 76 or 80 octan...

Thanks for any Info's