Drivers across Malaga queued at petrol stations on Tuesday amid fears fuel prices could surge following the escalating conflict around Iran.
The rush triggered a huge spike in sales, with petrol stations reporting between 30% and 60% more business than usual, according to the Malaga Association of Service Stations (APES).
Fuel prices are already climbing as tensions in the Middle East push oil markets higher and the Strait of Hormuz – a key global shipping route – faces disruption.
Average prices in Malaga province have now reached €1.56 per litre for petrol and €1.52 for diesel, up three cents and four cents respectively in just a day.
However, APES vice-president Luis Clavero warned prices can vary widely between stations, with differences of up to 25 cents per litre.
The last time Spain saw a similar surge was after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, when fuel prices soared above €2 per litre.
‘Whenever people expect fuel prices to rise, the first reaction is to fill their tanks,’ Clavero explained to Malaga Hoy, warning prices could again pass the €2 mark if the conflict drags on.
He said diesel could increase by 10 to 12 cents in the coming days, while petrol may rise six to seven cents, although the final increase will depend on how the crisis unfolds.
Petrol stations say the rush began on Monday evening after Iran’s threat to close the Strait of Hormuz – through which around 20% of the world’s oil passes.
Since then, many stations say they have seen ‘a constant stream of cars’ arriving to fill up.
Low-cost petrol stations have been hit hardest by the surge.
One of them, the Gueroil station near Cajiz on the A-7 motorway, reported selling 50,000 litres of fuel in a single day – double its usual amount.
Manager Francisco told Malaga Hoy how one customer spent €400 filling containers and vehicles with petrol.
The station usually issues around 2,000 receipts a day, but demand skyrocketed despite a sudden price increase of up to 12 cents for petrol and five cents for diesel overnight.
Other stations have even run out of fuel.
At a nearby EasyGas station in Velez-Malaga, manager Agueda Marquez said demand had spiralled.
‘We’ve had people turn up with several cars and even bringing fuel cans,’ she said. ‘The situation is chaotic.’
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
