PETROL HELD BY AIR FORCE

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25253, 4 August 1947, Page 6

PETROL HELD BY AIR FORCE

SURPLUS QUANTITY RELEASED PURCHASED FOR SALE TO MOTORISTS From Our Own Reporter WELLINGTON, August 3. Surplus supplies of aviation gasoline held in a number of Air Force stations throughout New Zealand have been taken over by the petrol industry. No definite figures could be obJam ed to-night, but it is understood that the amount of petrol available for consumption by New Zealand motorists will be increased by at least 1,090,000 gallons.

The surplus stock of aviation spirit has been purchased by two companies only, it was stated to-night. A spokesman for one company said that the spirit would be derated by a simple process. “The effect of this will be to swell the total stock of motor petrol in the Dominion pool,” he said. It is understood that some of the surplus stock has already been taken over by the companies, but that large supplies have yet to change hands. The company official added that the quality of the petrol might be a little better than that generally available, but any suggestion that it would be greatly superior could be discounted. Some of the petrol that could be taken over was of more than 90 octane, and this would be derated as near as possible to the quality of ordinary motor spirit. The octane of motor spirit is about 70. It was stated that hostilities in the Netherlands East Indies had no bearing whatever on the scheme, plans of which had been made long before war in that area had started.