Live: 'Deeply disturbing day': Bowen lashes Gupta over Whyalla

Energy Minister Chris Bowen says the former owner of the Whyalla steelworks let down South Australia with "mismanagement" of the plant.

Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen will head to Saudi Arabia next week in a bid to sure up Australia's fuel supply.

Bowen told 7.30 on Monday night that Australia has 41 days worth of petrol available but added that he remains deeply concerned by the squeeze on oil in the Middle East, caused in part by the Iran War.

"The pipeline that runs through Saudi Arabia is responsible for about 4 per cent of the world's oil supply," Bowen said.

"That's one of the straits that has replaced the Straits of Hormuz as one of the key areas to get fuel out of Saudi Arabia.

"I will be travelling to Saudi Arabia next week for direct meetings with my counterpart, the energy minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al-Saud , to get direct from him the situation, because … getting the best information about the state of the pipeline, when it will return to more normal levels, what the approach of the Saudi Arabian government is will be key for ensuring that fuel security over coming weeks and months."