LIQUID FUEL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 December 1939, Page 7

LIQUID FUEL

DEMAND FOR WAR PURPOSES. THF TASK OF THE TANKERS. | ( Many parts of the world, including I both New Zealand and Australia, art' I dependent on oil freighters for then petrol supplies, and although not much thought is given by people to those vessels in time of peace, their importance has been quickly recognised in war. I During recent years great activity I has been manifest among the big oil corporations in increasing their Heel.', of tankers. and only last year the U.S.A. Government voted over tw. million pounds toward the construction of 12 fast boats of this type which wil cost, one of the leading oil companies of that country £625,000 each. Their speed is to 19 knots and each will be capable of carrying 16 300 tons of liquid fuel in varying grades for naval units and aircraft. The world's present licet of tankers numbers some 1655 vessels in all. bill the consumption of liquid fuel of all kinds during hostilities will be so great that this fleet will have a hard task in meeting, or attempting to meet it. Military authorities in Great Britain an reported to have stated that the war demands will be from two to three times that under normal condition' and in normal conditions the Uniter' Kingdom alone was importing nearly 87 060.006 barrels of 42 gallons each and France nearly 60.000,060, a com binod quantity exceeding 400.000 barrels a day. Well over one-third of the shipments passed through, the Mediterranean.

Taking the war demands al double 23,500,000 gallons a day will require to be supplied. The average capacity o' a tanker is a little over 2 000,000 gallons. Britain's tanker tonnage is 3.013.687. just above 28 per cent of the world’s gross. France has only 2.2 per cent. America has in the region of 418 tankers, giving a tonnage of 2.758.6-12, over 25 per cent of the world's gross. Taking British and French ships alone and assuming only double normal requirements 21 tankers will have to deliver fuel to Britain and France dnilv.