MODERN OIL TANKER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20473, 27 January 1930, Page 7

MODERN OIL TANKER.

FIRST VISIT TO AUCKLAND*

A MARVEL OF ECONOMY.

TEXAS COMPANY'S OPERATIONS

The huge oil tanker Australia, the largest motor-propelled oil-tanker afloat.

arrived yesterday with 2,275,000 gallons . of petrol for discharge into the Texas Oil Company's storage tanks, at Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin. She is the largest vessel in the world carrying refined oil, her tanks having a total capacity of 5,145,000 gallons, or 18,800 tons. From bridge to engino-room the Australia is a mass of complicated mechanism designed to promote a maximum of eificiency. From the point of view of economy sho is a modern wonder ship. Her pumps, operated by steam instead of petrol, so as to fianish the electric spark from tho region of the decks, are capable of loading the ship to its maximum capacity in 20 hours. Tho averago cargo carrier takes about a week to do the samo thing. She discharges her cargo at an equally rapid rate. In Adelaide and Sydney, which sho has just visited, 425 tons of petrol were pumped out of her tanks through two 6in. pipes every hour. Tho world's record two years ago was 385 tons per hour. One Day's Great Work. These records in loading and unloading save tho vessel's owners thousands of pounds in every port she visits. Only six or seven men will be required to attend to tho pipes at Auckland, and the 750,000 gallons consigned to this port will be unloaded in one day. It would lake from 60 to 80 wharf labourers from four to five days to unload a ship of similar size carrying a similar quantity of.petrol packed in cases. The saving in stevedoring charges and harbour dues with this new ship" is prodigious, quite apart from the economy achieved by being able to dispense with a large crew during the voyage. Tho Australia has only borne her present name within the last few months.-. She was built at Chester, Pennsylvania, in 1928, for the Californian Petroleum Corporation, and was named the Mary Ellen O'Neil, in honour of the daughter of the Montana oil magnate, Mh P. H. O'Neil, who was a director of the company. Four other oil-tankers were built for the company, and aU bore the names of the wives of directors and officials of the company. Last year the Texas Steam-, ship Company bought all five vessels and their names were changed to a series bearing the termination "ia." Thus the Helen Vinmont, which has much the same dimensions and equipment as - the Australia, was called the California. Great Engine Efficiency. For a tanker, Ihe vessel has exceptional length, 530 ft., and a beam of 70ft. She has . a gross register of 11,628 tons and besides her storage for bulk oil she carries 672,000 gallons of crude oil for consumption in her own engines. Her' two Diesel engines are of British manufacture and are capable of maintaining, a service speed of 11.5 knots. The vessel averaged 11 knots during her voyage from San Pedro, via Australia. The addition of a patented brake enables the engines to be reversed from full speed ahead to full speed astern in 35 seconds. Her wireless room is the pride of the Mackay Radio and Telegraph Company, which has equipped approximately 200 ships with radio.' During the present voyage the vessel was in communication with San Francisco at a. distance of 5000 miles on a 4000-watt arc—the ship's best performance since being launched. The arrival of the Australia marks the Texas Company's entry in real earnest into the bulk supply of motor spirit in New Zealand. The Texas Corporation is the largest independent single oil company in the world, having a capital in excess of £100,000,000. The recent purchase of the California Oil Corporation for £30,000,000 made it possible to open up profitable relationships with, Australia, New Zealand and the Far East, and the company immediately put in hand preparations for bulk installations in these countries. New Zealand Installations. •. The New Zealand installations are now complete. The main terminals for bulk spirit are at Auckland, Wellington, Lyttelton and Dunedin, with miniatures 'of these at principal provincial centres. A largo sum has already been invested in New Zealand, including substantial purchases of British materials. Every effort is being made to relieve the unsightly appearance which is often an accompanying feature of bulk oil installations. At Wellington, for instance, the iron fence enclosing the tanks has been replaced by a wire fence through which details of the exterior of the plant are visible and lawns and flower beds have been laid out between the tanks. , The tanks are of the very latest gasproof type and are painted with aluminium paint, which is not only very sightly, but is best for deflecting the sun's rays. It helps considerably to prevent loss of spirit through evaporation. The tankers at tho wharf will provide the pumping equipment for conveying the spirit to the tanks, but a further pumping plant at the terminal conveys requirements, to horizontal overhead tanks which supply, by gravity, tho company's own petrol waggons. Elaborate precautions have been taken to prevent anything in tho nature of a fire. The terminal lias its own fire department, which is kept in practice by regular monthly drill, but in order that the call for 'brigade services will be negligible, fire extinguishers and sand boxes are kept at regular intervals. The usual precautions arc maintained in deal' in" with the possible generation of static electricity on tank waggons—a likely cause of fire.