COLOMBO, June 26 (AFP)- Cash-strapped Sri Lanka on Sunday (Jun 26) announced sending ministers to Russia and Qatar to try and secure cheap oil a day after the government said it had all but run out of fuel.

The government meanwhile extended a two-week closure of non-essential state institutions until further notice in order to save fuel, maintaining only a skeleton staff to provide minimum services.

Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said two ministers will travel to Russia on Monday to discuss getting more oil following last month's purchase of 90,000 tonnes of Siberian crude.

That shipment was arranged through Coral Energy, a Dubai-based intermediary, but politicians have been urging the authorities to negotiate directly with President Vladimir Putin's government.

"Two ministers are going to Russia and I will go to Qatar tomorrow to see if we can arrange concessionary terms," Wijesekera told reporters in Colombo.

Wijesekera had announced on Saturday that Sri Lanka was virtually out of petrol and diesel after several scheduled shipments were delayed indefinitely due to "banking" reasons.

Fuel reserves were sufficient to meet less than two days' demand and they were being reserved for essential services, Wijesekera said while apologising for the situation.