Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Australian fuel reserves, petrol pricing, and how AussieOilWatch works. If your question isn’t answered here, feel free to get in touch.

About AussieOilWatch

What is AussieOilWatch?: AussieOilWatch is an independent, public-interest dashboard that tracks Australia’s onshore fuel reserves and station-level petrol, diesel, and jet fuel prices in near-real time. It aggregates data from the Australian Government’s Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) and official state fuel-check APIs, presenting it in a single, easy-to-read interface. The project is built and maintained by Rath Engineering Development.
Who funds this site?: AussieOilWatch is independently funded through minimal display advertising. It has no commercial relationship with any fuel retailer, energy company, or government body. All data is sourced from publicly available government publications and APIs.
Is AussieOilWatch affiliated with the Australian Government?: No. AussieOilWatch is a completely independent project. While we source data from government publications and APIs, we have no official affiliation with, or endorsement by, any Australian Government department or agency.
How often is the data updated?: Fuel prices are refreshed every 30 minutes from state government APIs. Reserve stock data is polled from DCCEEW every 60 minutes. The dashboard page itself re-renders every 5 minutes to incorporate the latest data. If a live feed is temporarily unavailable, the most recent successful snapshot is served as a fallback.

Fuel reserves

What are fuel reserves and why do they matter?: Fuel reserves refer to the volume of refined fuel — petrol, diesel, and jet fuel — held onshore in Australia at any given time. Because Australia imports over 90% of its refined fuel, these reserves act as a buffer against supply disruptions such as refinery outages, shipping delays, or geopolitical crises. Unlike countries with large strategic petroleum reserves (like the United States, which holds roughly 400 million barrels in its SPR), Australia’s stockholdings are typically measured in weeks, not months. This makes even small changes in stock levels significant for national energy security. Learn more on our guide to Australian fuel reserves.
What does "stock days" mean?: Stock days represent the number of days that current onshore fuel stocks would last at the prevailing national consumption rate. For example, if Australia has 25 stock days of petrol, the current onshore supply would meet about 25 days of normal national petrol demand. These figures are published weekly by DCCEEW as part of the Minimum Stockholding Obligation (MSO) system.
What is the Minimum Stockholding Obligation (MSO)?: The MSO is an Australian Government policy requiring fuel importers and refiners to hold a minimum number of days of stock onshore at all times. It was introduced in 2012 and strengthened in 2021 following concerns about fuel security. DCCEEW publishes weekly data showing actual stock levels and how far they sit above or below the MSO minimum for each fuel type.
What does "surplus above MSO" mean?: The surplus percentage indicates how far above the mandatory minimum stockholding the country’s actual fuel stocks sit. For example, "+78% above MSO" for petrol means onshore petrol stocks are 78% higher than the legal minimum. A higher surplus indicates a more comfortable buffer; a lower surplus means stocks are closer to the mandatory floor.
Why is there a lag in reserve data?: DCCEEW relies on reporting from fuel importers and refiners, which takes time to compile and validate. The weekly MSO publication typically reflects data from the preceding week. AussieOilWatch shows the publication date alongside each figure so users can see exactly how old the data is. The countdown timer subtracts elapsed time since publication to provide an approximate remaining figure.
How accurate is the countdown timer?: The countdown timer is an illustrative estimate, not a live sensor feed. It takes the most recently published stock-day figure from DCCEEW and subtracts the time that has elapsed since publication. It does not account for incoming shipments, changes in demand, or any other variable. When new weekly data is published, the timer resets to the fresh figure. Think of it as a "time since last known good reading" indicator rather than a precise tank gauge.

Fuel pricing

Where do the fuel prices come from?: Station-level fuel prices are sourced from official state and territory government APIs. These include the NSW FuelCheck API (covering NSW and ACT), the QLD fuel price reporting scheme, the SA Government fuel portal, the WA FuelWatch service, the NT and TAS government feeds. Each API is polled every 30 minutes. For more detail, see our guide to Australian fuel pricing.
Is Victoria included in the fuel price data?: Yes. Victoria fuel price data is now included in the dashboard alongside all other states and territories. Station-level data is sourced from the Victoria Fair Fuel API and refreshes on the same 30-minute cycle as the other state feeds.
What fuel types are tracked?: AussieOilWatch tracks Unleaded Petrol (ULP / E10), Premium Unleaded (PULP 95 and 98), Diesel, and LPG across participating states. The reserve dashboard tracks petrol, diesel, and jet fuel at the national level. Not all fuel types are reported by every state API.
Why does a price look wrong for a station near me?: Fuel prices are sourced directly from government APIs, which rely on retailers self-reporting their prices. Occasionally, a station may report a stale price, an incorrect figure, or fail to update after a price change. AussieOilWatch applies a sanity filter (60–800 c/L) to remove obvious outliers, but smaller errors may still appear. If you spot a persistent discrepancy, please let us know via the contact page so we can investigate.
What determines petrol prices in Australia?: Australian retail fuel prices are influenced by several factors: the international benchmark price of refined fuel (Singapore Tapis for petrol, Singapore Gasoil for diesel), the AUD/USD exchange rate, federal excise duty (currently around 50 cents per litre), GST (10%), wholesale margins, and retail margins. Prices also follow a well-documented cycle in major capital cities, typically rising sharply mid-week and falling gradually over the following days.

Using the dashboard

How do I compare fuel prices between areas?: Use the "Compare fuel prices" section on the home page. You can drill down from state level to council (LGA) level to individual towns. Select a base area and one or more comparison areas to see side-by-side averages, cheapest stations, and most expensive stations. Comparison URLs are shareable — just copy the URL from your browser.
What does the heatmap show?: The national heatmap shows station-level fuel prices colour-coded by cost. Red areas indicate more expensive fuel; green areas indicate cheaper fuel. You can zoom in to see individual stations and their reported prices. The heatmap updates every 30 minutes alongside the price data.
Can I use AussieOilWatch on my phone?: Yes. The site is fully responsive and designed to work on mobile devices. The comparison tool, reserve countdown, heatmap, and all other features are available on mobile browsers. You can also add the site to your home screen for quick access.
Is the data on this site financial advice?: No. AussieOilWatch is a transparency and information tool. Nothing on this site constitutes financial, investment, or trading advice. Do not make purchasing, hedging, or stockpiling decisions based solely on information displayed here. Always consult qualified professionals and official government publications. See our terms of use for full details.

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Aussie Oil Watch

Independent fuel reserve & pricing transparency for Australia.

Building your dashboard

Querying 6 state government fuel APIsGathering 30,000+ service station pricesLoading DCCEEW reserve stock levelsTracking fuel tanker positions via AIS

Live data from official government sources — takes a moment on first load