HALIFAX – Imperial Oil says it’s bringing in extra gasoline in the wake of a lightning strike that led to a shutdown of its Halifax-area refinery, putting pressure on supplies for gas stations in Nova Scotia.
A number of media outlets reported Saturday that some stations, primarily between Halifax and Truro, had run out of some grades of gas, resulting in several station closures.
Imperial Oil spokesman Merle MacIsaac says the company is finding other sources of product to supply stations in order to minimize disruptions.
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The lightning strike on July 21 knocked out power at the Dartmouth refinery, essentially putting the operation in a temporary holding pattern.
MacIsaac says with a planned period of scheduled maintenance coming up anyway, it was decided to begin that maintenance now.
He says the refinery, which is a major supplier of gas to Nova Scotia, is expected to be operational again in mid-August.
Meanwhile, deliveries to stations are continuing but MacIsaac says all businesses may not be able to get all the product they want for the time being.
A random survey of seven gas stations in Halifax on Saturday found plenty of product on hand. Employees at three of those stations said they had just received deliveries of gas.
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