Together with stockpiles of naphtha-based products such as polyethene, equivalent to 1.8 months of supply, Japan should be able to meet demand until after the start of next year, she said.
At the meeting, Takaichi also ordered the government to call on related industries to prevent hoarding, including excessive bulk purchases.
Officials also reported steps to ease distribution bottlenecks affecting cleaning agents for surgical knives and other medical-sector products. Procurement problems involving methanol at some waste disposal facilities are expected to be resolved soon.
Takaichi said, “Even under a conservative scenario, in which only about 50 per cent (of crude oil) could be procured through alternative routes in and after June, we’ll still be able to have enough (oil) until early next year.”
The government will begin releasing additional state oil reserves equal to about 20 days of domestic consumption on Saturday, one day later than planned, because of bad weather.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
