BUNKER TRADE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 554, 5 January 1929, Page 23

BUNKER TRADE

KING COAL THREATENED GROWTH OF OIL BURNING Shipping men in Sydney endorse tre view of members of the British Economic Mission that a serious crisis is impending in the coal industry of Australia. Having lost practically the whole of the oversea markets, the industry is not only faced with competition for orders within the Commonwealth, but is gradually losin g the valuable bunker trade owing to the entry into the Australian shipping services of an increasing number of motor vessels and oil-burners, says the “Sydney Morn ing Herald." The industry has suffered another serious blow by the decision of the P. and O. branch line to convert five steamers into oil-burners. At the present time the vessels consume about 35,000 tons of Australian coal a year. That quantity is sufficient to absorb the output of the largest colliery on the Maitland field for 12 days worked at the highest pressure. The indications are that the bunker iug trade must go from bad to worse. Owners of large oversea steamers show an increasing disposition to change over from coal to oil. More than half of the vessels now being built will be fitted with internal combustion engines. Betw’een 1923 and 1928, motor tonnage increased by almost 3,800,000 tons gross. During the same period the steamer tonnage diminished by 560.000 tons gross. The change has resulted from the decision of ship owners, when replacement tonnage has been required, to build oil-engined craft to carry the services previously maintained by steamers. Equally striking is the fact that, whereas five years ago only 19 per cent, of the tonnage of ships being built throughout the world was to be equipped with oil-engines, the figure to-day is 56 per cent. —the highest that has yet been recorded.