L.P.G. safety at port

Press, 7 August 1981, Page 18

L.P.G. safety at port

The Lyttelton Harbour Board has revealed that it might engage private consultants to determine the best and safest site for the unloading of liquefied petroleum gas at the port, but not until another private surveyhad been completed. The board's special L.P.G. sub-committee met on August 3 when the board's chairman, Mr J. E. Mannering. noted that the Lyttelton Borough Council had approached the Minister of Energy (Mr Birch) asking that the terms of reference for the L.P.G. pipeline commission of inquiry be widened to include the point of discharge of L.P.G. vessels. Mr Mannering said that it was now believed that the Minister had not agreed to those representations. The council was taking the matter to court. Mr Mannering said.

At the August 3 meeting the sub-committee recommended that Lloyd's Register of Shipping be engaged by the board to report on the safety and practicability of using the present oil wharf in the inner harbour for unloading L.P.G. vessels, and also the possibility of using an alternative berthage for such ships off the Naval Point reclamation.

But the next day. according to the board's general manager, Mr J. A. McPhail, the Liquigas consortium advised the board that its consultants’ report (A. D. Little and Company, of the United States) would be released to the board by the end of August. In addition. Mr McPhail said, the Liquid Fuels Trust Board had commissioned a study to be made by the Netherlands-based Organisation for Applied Scientific Research. It was also believed that Professor R. B. Keey, of the University of Canterbury’s School of Engineering and an expert on safety analysis, was going to make a study of the matter, Mr McPhail said. Liquigas. he said, had not offered to pay any costs involved with a Lloyd's survey.

The end result was that the board, if not satisfied with the study commissioned by the Liquid Fuels Trust Board, might appoint Lloyd's for an independent survey.

Board members also asked the chief engineer. Mr J. B. Bushell, to prepare a cost estimate for a berth off the Naval Point reclamation or an additional wharf to be used exclusively for L.P.G. discharge.