NEW OIL DEPOT

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 307, 22 August 1932, Page 7

NEW OIL DEPOT

FINE MODERN PLANT ATLANTIC UNION OIL COMPANY SHOWS CONFIDENCE IN ROTORUA. READY FOR BUSINESS. The completion of the Atlantic Union Oil Conrpany's bulk depot in Rotorua marlts another step1 forward in the business progress of the town. There was a certain feeling of opposition to the action of^the Railway Department in sacrificing a further portion of the plantation on the Fentoii Street frontage to make room for the depot, but it must be admitted ■ that the eompany has laid. out the grounds in such a manner as to over- . come a great deal of this objection. The street will not be fronted with an unsightly corrugated iron barrier. The entrance to the depot yard is not very wide and the paved roadway will be flanked on either side by shrubs and green lawns, while the boundary fences have been painted . white and have a very pleasing. alfect , against the background of the plantation. linside the depot yard the same neat and tidy appearance prevails and when the lawns beeome green the whole depot will be an example of modern, efficiency comhined with decidedly , pleasing surroundings. A strong feature of the whole de--pot, from office to giant containers, is the completeness with which safe- : guards have heen applied. The office, itself, is built of eoncrete and control . over the whole electrical system is eentred there. Each separate building has its chemical extinguishing plant, and the yard is equipped with four hydrants and water is connected by a special main from the town supply. Buckets of sand are also kept handy in case of emergency. Plentiful notices also notify visitors and staff that no smoking is allowed. Further, serviee pipes are all laid underground, and electric wires encased in airtight tubes. Loading Facilities. Ample provision is made for the handling and transport of petrol, both in bulk and drums. A storeroom, garage for the bulk lorry and loading stage are all combined under one roof. Everything is done by pumps and gravitation. The bulk lorry is baclced in, or the drum placed in position, and the supply of Union White Flash or Atlantic petrol is turned on. In this connection it may also be mentioned that each brand of petrol has its own particular container and set of pipes. Two lines of pipes, 160 feet in length and four fet underground, have been run under the railway line to connect with the railway tank cars, and each set of pipes will carry its own particular fuel. Supplies can be pumped to the containers or the loading stage as required and quickly and efficiently handled. As a rule, the gravitation foroe from the containers is sufficient to do all the filling required, but if the big tanks become too low in the level to make gravitation filling possible, a turn of a tap and a touch on a switch puts the pump .in action and the work can proceed without interruption. Careful Pumping. The pump is used with great care. In the first place, although it is in the same shed as the dynamo which drives it, the two are separated by a solid concrete wall, so that no chance spark of electricity could possibly reach the pump, and the switch operating the electric motor is oilimmersed to secure perfect safety. (In fact, this precaution is taken will all switches outside the office. The pump is connected with the lines under the railway and carries the oil fuel to the two containers. These stand 30 feet high and have a diameter of nine feet. When full, they will hold 12,000 gallons of fuel each. The containers are both filled and emptied from the bottom and every drop of fuel which enters them is rigidly filtered at the pump and cleared of all impurties. Even water cannot pass through the fine gauze used. Following out the policy of making the depot as attractive as possible, the big containers have been coated with aluminium paint and look very clean and imposing. A concrete wall, a few feet high , surrounds the tank stand, and its purpose is not elear without an explanation, but it happens to be yet another precaution against danger. The concrete basin thus formed has a capacity of 24,000 gallons, plus ten per cent, so that in the event of both containers giving way, or being damaged, the wall will retain the outflow of benzine and prevent dangerous spreading. Another useful arrangement is that the pumping process can he reversed and, if required, a railway tank can be filled from a container. In fact, no modern method or precaution has been neglected to make the depot effieient. A case store eontains supplies to meet requirements which cannot be seryed by bulk methods. All buildings are roofed with fibrolite, which is claimed to be both' cool and fire resisting. New Zealand Material. "So far as possible we have used loeal material and empioyed local men," said Mr. R. J. Collett, assistant ; superintending engineer for New Zealand, who designed and carried out the worfe of construeting the depot. ' The iron containers were made t * an • Auckland foundry and other necessary machinery and ironwork were purchased there, hut everyth'ing else 1 as heen obtained in Rotorua. The whole depot has cost, approximately, £2500, and a very fair proportion of this amount has been spent in this town. It is anticipated th'at the depot will be fully ready for business by September 1.