Petrol pumps have run dry at Gull service stations across Auckland in the past 24 hours as motorists take advantage of discount day deals amid skyrocketing prices. 

At least six Gull stations have been affected after prices were cut by 14 cents a litre yesterday. 

Motorists took to social media to vent frustration over fuel pumps running dry, and in some cases had pre-paid for petrol that didn’t exist. 

“Don’t waste your time going to Gull Onehunga, the 91 and 95 is out of order,” said one person on Facebook. 

Gull Greville Road, Henderson, Torbay, Takanini and Takapuna had also reportedly run out of either, or both, of 91 and 95 gasoline. 

The Herald has contacted Gull for comment. 

Finance Minister Nicola Willis said she hadn’t heard about Gull stations running about of petrol. 

“What I can assure you is that Gull as an overall entity has sufficient fuel supply, so you will from time to time see regional variation, but that should not be taken as a sign of the fuel market being disrupted right now,” she told Ryan Bridge TODAY. 

Fears of soaring global oil prices have rocked markets since the start of the Iran war two weeks ago. 

The price of Brent crude – the international benchmark – has surged to around the US$100 a barrel mark, reaching a high of US$120 earlier this week, having been sitting under US$70 before the conflict. 

This has seen prices at the pump for Kiwi motorists soar past the $3 a litre mark in many areas around the country. 

The average price of unleaded 91 petrol in New Zealand has risen 27 cents to $2.76 a litre in the last 10 days, according to fuel tracking app Gaspy. 

In Auckland, the cheapest available unleaded 91 fuel has increased 39 cents to $2.59 over that time. Petrol was sitting at a high of $3.18 a litre at BP New Lynn this morning. 

BP New Lynn was also selling 95 premium petrol at $3.36 a litre this morning. 

In Wellington, the cheapest available unleaded 91 petrol is up 31 cents to $2.66 in the last 10 days. 

Meanwhile, premium 95 petrol was sitting at $3.90 a litre in Hamilton this morning at Mobil Hillcrest. 

Channel Infrastructure chief executive Rob Buchanan – whose company owns the Marsden Point terminal and pipeline services – played down worries about fuel supply in New Zealand while speaking on the Ryan Bridge TODAY this morning. 

“I think it’s just important to be measured about where we’re at,” Buchanan said. 

“The current stockholding in New Zealand and ships on the water is pretty comforting in terms of the amount of days’ cover. 

“What we can’t control are international events, but also the oil industry is good at readjusting supply chains and just needs time to do it and that’s why we’ve got these types of buffers.” 

Buchanan said Channel Infrastructure has the equivalent of 12 days’ worth of New Zealand’s fuel consumption in storage at Marsden Point. 

Yesterday, the Commerce Commission warned businesses over petrol surcharges and price rises. 

Commissioner Bryan Chapple said he has communicated with fuel companies and is prepared to publicly “call out” pricing that exacerbates ongoing global price movements. 

“Nobody wants to see fuel companies using the situation in the Middle East as an excuse to unjustifiably increase prices at the pump. Any retail price increases should be aligned with actual increases in the cost of sourcing fuel. 

“Public scrutiny is a powerful tool and we will use it.”