Anthony Albanese will seek further assurances on Australia's fuel supply during the first prime ministerial visit to Brunei in more than a decade.
The prime minister will depart on Tuesday for a four-day visit to Brunei and Malaysia for talks aimed at safeguarding the flow of petrol and diesel.
Both nations play important roles in Australia’s fuel supply chains, and the trip will build on Mr Albanese's visit to Singapore, another vital exporter.
Along with Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Mr Albanese on Tuesday will visit the Brunei Darussalam-Australia Memorial where they will lay a wreath.
The site is dedicated to the 127 Australians who were killed and hundreds more who were wounded liberating Brunei and British North Borneo (now Malaysia) from Japanese occupation at the end of WWII.
Mr Albanese is the first Australian prime minister to visit Brunei since Tony Abbott in 2013 for the East Asia Summit.
Swinburne University engineering expert Hussein Dia described the trip as part of regional "fuel diplomacy" efforts aimed at ensuring long-term supply.
Brunei ships about nine per cent of Australia's diesel while Malaysia is the third-biggest supplier, according to the government.
"I don't think it's a sign of immediate shortage or to say 'give us priority', it's really to maintain flow," Professor Dia said, adding the government was likely "planning for a prolonged period of uncertainty".
"I think it just reinforces that we are good partners and we are coming just to seek reassurances and just build on this."
The government on Monday rolled out a $20 million advertising campaign urging drivers to cut down on fuel use by changing their driving habits or leaving the car at home.
Mr Albanese said the ad blitz gave practical information to consumers, describing it as a sensible move at a time of "global challenge".
In the longer term, the government said continued efforts on electrification and renewable energy were important to curb the nation's reliance on petrol and diesel.
Australia's fuel stocks have remained relatively stable since the Iran conflict broke out in February, with 38 days of petrol, 28 days of jet fuel and 31 days of diesel in reserves, Energy Minister Chris Bowen said on Monday.
Fifty-seven shipments of crude oil, jet fuel, diesel and petrol were headed to Australia, Mr Bowen said, describing the number as about normal for this time of year.
