A senior official of the Muthurajawela oil storage facility told that the oil storage has completely depleted and that the petrol and diesel outputs have been halted.

Speaking to media the official told the reason for the depletion was an explosion of a buoy that was carrying oil inland from the host tanker.

Trade unions claim that Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) is paying millions as demurrages daily due to oil tankers which are anchored near the main port.

A similar damaged buoy had resulted in the temporary closure of the Sapugaskanda refinery on June 25.

However the official assured that this would not result in an oil shortage in the country.

Meanwhile, the two Singaporean tankers which were leased by the Sri Lankan government as a solution to this shortage is said to be idling around the port for over ten days.

The ‘Jathika Sevaka sangamaya’ of Ceylon Petroleum Corporation said that the government has not taken any steps to pump in a single pint of oil to the inland storage. They further added that the government is paying a toll of 1.5 million per day for the ship and within 12 days already a total toll of 20 million had already been summed up.