Where to start, eh?

It's certainly a busy time in the energy sector – I suspect we will need to strap in for some more bumps for the foreseeable future too.

The seemingly directionless Trump show continues in the Middle East, causing global crude shortages which then have a knock-on effect on…well, virtually everything.

No crude through the Strait of Hormuz means no supplies getting to our Asian neighbours, which means a squeeze on the volumes of refined liquid fuels they have to export to us.

So far (so far) only six deliveries to our shores have been cancelled but with China banning exports, Japan saying they don't like surprises and other nations moving the goalposts and export quotas, Albanese and co are going to have to do more than just spruik a warm relationship with Singapore if they want to quieten concerns.

And it's those concerns which are possibly causing the most disruption to the ordinary ICE-car driving Australians.

If we're to believe what we're being told, there's no shortage of petrol in Australia. And yet on a daily basis we're seeing prices escalate, forecourts jammed, bowsers being locked and petrol station imposing their own localised limits on purchases.

Panic buying? It should be our national sport. We trained ourselves on toilet role during the pandemic and now it seems we've perfected the art with petrol.

And its this mass stockpiling and change in buying habits which is leading the retailers to up the prices. In a traditional supply and demand scenario, a scarcity of supply and an increase in demand will lead to an increase in prices.

And yet for us there is no scarcity of supply, just a massive increase in panic-driven demand – something the retailers seem happy to cash in on to our – literal – expense.

Let's hope sense prevails, coupled with the threat of increased price-gouging penalties.

And then if all that's not enough, with Albo telling our Asian friends to the north that supply is a two-way street (you give us an uninterrupted supply of refined fuels and we'll keep supplying the LNG), along comes Cyclone Narelle which promptly causes Wheatstone, Gorgon and the North West Shelf to batten down the hatches. Oh, and Santos' DLNG is offline at the moment too.

The epitome of a perfect storm.

If the wind's coming your way this weekend, do what you need to do to keep you and yours safe. Perhaps emptier roads this weekend on the west coast at least will be good for the wallet.