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I usually play as the Axis, and it seems weird to me that I have never been confronted to a GLOBAL fuel shortage : planes always fly and tanks always roll (provided units are in supply)
=> However this is FAR from being historically accurate, as many Axis Panzers and aircraft were stranded due to lack of fuel

Is it something normal ? How can I tweak options so I can have a more pressing need to get to (at least) Maikop ?

It's probably specious to say that the Axis had a global fuel shortage until about early to mid 1943.  The Panzers had a fuel shortage due to fuel *delivery* to the front line, you will experience that as the axis in WitE if your Panzers run too far forwards from your rail heads.  You will also experience that as the Soviets -- I have seen tank corps start the turn with 4 MPs!

When the Russians get close enough to bomb Ploesti, if you forget to stack AA units and some air defence fighters around the area, you will understand what a fuel shortage means.  When Romania surrenders and you lose the oilfields, you'll be asking "fuel? fuel? what's that?".  The real shortage of fuel in the Axis in late 43 and 44 and onwards towards the end of the war was due to a combination of (a) loss of the Romanian oilfields (b) allied bombing of the synthetic plants in and around Essen and (c) over-commitment in certain areas, leading to a deep fuel shortage in specific areas rather than a less pressing fuel shortage across the entire armed forces.  It really took that combination of factors to bring Germany to its knees in terms of fuel supply.

Despite Hitler's pressing need to take the Caucasus oilfields, the Wehrmacht had pretty close to 100% fuel supplies in late 41 and 42, despite still having logistical issues supplying units that had run forwards further than expected.  Supplying the Wehrmacht with 120% or 150% of their fuel needs wouldn't have gained a lot.  The long term strategic goal, of having fuel supplies under German control rather than the control of less "reliable" allies, was basically bigotry rather than actual need.

Also take into consideration that until early 1941, Russia was supplying Germany with quite a bit of fuel and oil, and Germany was stockpiling that.  Until the stockpiles ran out, the Wehrmacht was pretty much in full supply.

Thanks Del !

Digging a little on the subject : http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airc ... becker.htm
=> It says "production and supply (...) presented no serious problems until the spring of 1944", as you said.