Jet fuel in Chch at ‘critical’ level

Press, 11 July 1979, Page 3

Jet fuel in Chch at ‘critical’ level

Supplies of jet fuel have reached a “critical” level in Christchurch, according to Air New Zealand’s public affairs manager (Mr C. Saxton).

“The situation is worse in Christchurch than anywhere else in the country,” said Mr Saxton from Auckland yesterday. Christchurch’s position had been aggravated by the fuel drivers’ dispute last week, he said. While other] airports throughout New Zealand had been regularly refuelled over the last few days, Christchurch had received little or no supplies and had now reached the critical level. Mr Saxton said fuel was “a little tight” in Auckland, but at this' stage no problem was envisaged. “If the dispute goes longterm we could be faced with a reduction of some services, but although the domestic service is totally tied to the domestic fuel supply I cannot see any' difficulty over the next few days,” said Mr Saxton.

While supplies were low in Christchurch, jets on Air New Zealand’s domestic ser-

vice would refuel at Wellington and Auckland. The airline’s international wing would not be affected by the dispute. A spokesman for Shell Oil (N.Z.), Ltd, said yesterday that fuel stocks at Christchurch Airport would last five days under normal circumstances.

Tanks which had dropped to 200,000 litres during the tanker drivers’ dispute last week had been topped up during the brief respite yesterday, said the spokesman. this had extended the supplies on hand from two days normal working to five, but that would take the airline through only until Saturday.

Conservation measures were being introduced with the co-operation of Air New Zealand, he said. Bigger fuel loads would be taken on at Wellington and Auckland to make refuelling in Christchurch largely unnecessary while the strike was on.

Supplies of aviation gasoline in Christchurch will be boosted on Sunday when a shipment of 15,000 tonnes is expected to arrive at Lyttelton.

The shipment, would last- a year, if the present restrictions on consumption remained in force, said a spokesman for Shell Oil yesterday.

If the restrictions were lifted, the Avgas would last eight or nine months, the spokesman said. The shipment had been arranged by Shell, but it would go to all customers in New Zealand. In normal circumstances, the shipment would have lasted Shell’s customers two years, the spokesman said. The cargo has come from Iran, which used to supply 153 per cent of the world’s supply of Avgas before political troubles disrupted all oil production early this, year.

Half of the cargo will be delivered at Lyttelton, when the Alinda berths on Sunday morning. The ship will then deliver 4900 tonnes to the Seaview depot at Wellington, and 3300 tonnes at Mount Maunganui. Existing stocks of Avgas 100 are thought to be adequate, as a result of the restrictions imposed by the Government.