Equatorial Guinea’s Vice-President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue has ordered a study on refining part of the country’s crude in other African countries instead of importing petrol and diesel, the government said on 11 November. The study, with state oil company GEPetrol and the hydrocarbons and finance ministries, will use crude from the Zafiro and Ceiba fields and calculate how much is needed to cover a year of domestic demand. It follows repeated fuel shortages that have hit drivers, transport firms and businesses, and earlier orders to expand storage and study a national refinery. Refining abroad could secure supply faster than building a plant, but only if tolling and transport costs beat import prices.