PETROL

Hokitika Guardian, 21 January 1926, Page 4

PETROL

AUCKLAND SCHEMES

AUCKLAND, Jan. 16.

j, ‘Within the year Auckland motorists will ho receiving the benefits accruing from the bulk distribution of petrol jfby ; the world’s hugest suppliers, the . British Imperial Oil Company and the Vacuum Oil Company. Although it " is impossible to estimate the economies that, will be passed on in some measure to tbe consumer, the success of bulk distribution in Australia suggests that motorists may expect a reduction of several penco per gallon on firstgrade spirits. Tlie schemes already initiated by tbe two oil companies ensure that there will be about ten bulk storage tanks erected on -sites acquired !in Freeman’s Bay. A pipe line of 10 inches diameter will be laid to the end of Western Wharf, and oil-tank steamers will discharge their cargoes with expedition. An ordinary tanker will bring altout 10,000 tons, or over 2.000,000 gallons of petrol. Tbe erection of two tanks each of over 2,000,000 gallons capacity lias already been., eommeneed by the British Imperial Oil Company, whose supplies are drawn from Sumatra. Tenders for tbe Vacuum Oil Company project will be nailed; (shortly. The bulk diittribu- , tion,...scheme for Australia and New Zealand recently evolved, bv this company will mean an outlay of two million popi.uls. The products marketed by the company will lc drawn from tbe .Pennsylvanian oilfields. The five tanks of each company will have, a total capacity of about 2.-100,000 gallons; of petrol,, or 5,000,000 gallons for the ,ten tanks. Two grades of petrol will be bandied in. bulk by each company. They will be identical with the first grade motor spirits and the heavier commercial'spirits now sold in four gallon tills. The petrol will also he known by .r'snnic brands .as are now used. Although no definite arrangements have yet, been made, there is no doubt that the ,scope of the bulk system will ho extended later .to embrace the handling of fuel oils such as are used in Diesel...and crude oil engines. There are many auxiliary vessels running on the,New Zealand coast which use their heavier petroleum products. Later, als -it ■ will probably lie • necessary to calm- for, the requirements of smaller coastal ports by a (loot of small tank steamers,- which will be filled at Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch depots. , , Although some .motorists prefer to bur, petrol by the. ease in order to be snip of its quality, there is no doubt that the kerbside puny> serves the minority of car owners. There are a dozen petrol pumps in Auckland, and at a conservative estimate they average j 100 gallons a day. One suburban, garage sold nearly 300 gallons of motpr spirit through its pump oil a Christinas holiday. A city garage wl! supplies, petrol almost exclusively by medium of a pump records a monthly sale of 3500 gallons. From this it is obvious that the bulk storag’ system of supplying motorists through garage philips must result in considerable economies. Until some provision is - made for canning bulk supplies at Auckland for country gar-ng-s, there will still bo a quantity of case i petrol imported. Tt is probable that ■ a canning factory will be in operation at the Wellington bulk store first.■ Tentative proposals for the carriage of petrol in railway tank waggons bay already been considered by the oil.,companies. The innovation of the bulk distribution sysTcm in Auckland will iic ess-tntc .the installal ion of capacious*, underground tanks by some garages..,. Garages equipped to handle petrol in bulk.will be served by motor tan'; wugo-o- s The. waggons will vary in capacity from 4CO to 1200 gallons,-a,iid a busy.. garage might require a.Usuiiluh'o of.n', .wbiggoii almost duil -. ./fJiVpy.aggous,will bo tilled from I.hv lialf-hiijiion gallon ,tanks in Freemans Ba.V by ft,, pump, Measuremects ..will .be taken;, of. the tnuleri:m Itn_;;lCs at each,,garage, and the prC riet-v .will he supplied with a enli-b/-5 'll ‘‘dip slick.” With this lie can cluck the ytopic received- from the wr- " h.pj.; T ’ underground tanks will l e .s.mplv filled 1,.v .gravity from the wa : r,n;l a ,-Vl!o.w .meter” ineorJ'.piiu (l. i*i, the. (lisduu-ge..-.pipe will indicate :the amount of ,'the. supply for the information of both waggon driver niid. the garage proprietor.

--L'nig before Auckland is being supplied from bulk tanks Wellington motorist.s. v -will see the , .system in full operation. Five large tanks at Mii-a-nrar will l;o completed next week. TJiey will probably be filled with two papular brands of motor spirit. Tank Waggons lor use by.the British Imperial Oil Company, have already arrived iu -Now Zealand.

The :■ boliti.jii of Hie <ostly method petrol in. .tins. .will pro. liablv call for legislation in two directions for the 'protection* of the,.mo r torist,. Primarily they will he fequireihjnme assurance that the punifs will deJirer the li'nuid of petrol required. Itj.i.s notorious Chut one enniiot he sine of the quality of petrol one is Retting from a pump. ’ The .fault does not lie entirely with the enrage proprietors, as often a particular brand cannot he obtained by them, and the next host i.s then tipped into the tnnk tp ,ninkc up the deficit'. Possibly . the mixture is quiet up to the standard, hilt a motorist likes to think lie is getting what he asks for. In the seeond place there should he a periodie inspection of the pumps to determine whether they are giving full measure. Hie sight-feed type of pump, is, of course, its own, proof, hut even the pump attendant may not he aware when the other class of pump is giving short measure. r .. Jnr ... r „