Research ship short of fuel

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33447, 31 January 1974, Page 3

Research ship short of fuel

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, January 30.

The American ship Melville, which arrived at Wellington yesterday from Papeete, is almost out of fuel, and there are no stocks of the type she uses at Wellington.

A slom research ship, carrying the most advanced scientific and electronic equipment for her work in the world, she is on an eightmonth oceanographic exploration programme of the North and South Pacific. The fuel is being sought from Lyttelton. If none is available she might be marooned at Wellington until the middle of next month, when a tanker is due. The Wellington manager of Burns Philp (Mr R. Dunn) said today that the Melville required a type of marine gas oil. “It’s a type of fuel commonly used by scientific ships, but there are no stocks in Wellington,” he said. The vessel has only 10 days supply left. A spokesman for an oil company in Christchurch said it was probable that the fuel the Melville required was available at Lyttelton.

Ships of this type, and many United States Navy vessels, have high-speed diesels which take a light fuel. However, the oil company spokesman said, an application for the Melville to bunker at Lyttelton would have to go through the Government, because the oil firms were now permitted to supply only the “normal customers,” who had drawn fuel from them in the last year.