PNG : Jet Fuel Crisis

[OzExpat]

This morning's Post Courier newspaper carried a front page story about the latest shipment of jet fuel which does not meet quality standards. From enquiries made through the day, it would appear that the fuel may have been contaminated during shipment to PNG.

Operators will start facing fuel supply disruption from tomorrow and, at present, there is no indication as to when the situation will be resolved. International flights may still be able to operate if they can obtain sufficient fuel at overseas destinations, but domestic services seem certain to be disrupted for an indefinite period of time.

The PNG industry is already struggling against costs caused by the low value of the Kina against world currencies. This is just the sort of problem that it doesn't need.

[Animalclub]

OzExpat I don't usually generalise but it appears that all the islands do it.

Spent 9 months on Nauru - and they didn't even order the jet fuel until we were on the last planeload... which also was supposed to take the samples to BNE!!!

[Herc Jerk]

Apinun OZ. Long time, how's tricks up there in the bunker?

The Angolans switched fuels on us a couple of years ago- gave us some really oily stuff with less color and smell than the JetA we normally used- our old Hercs were leaving four big-ass soot trails through the sky. May have been a JP-grade or, more likely, a shipment of kurdish lamp oil they'd got on the cheap. Grounded us for 4 days (...of wine women and song...) while they ran tests. Never did find out who "they" were or what "they" found out, but after 4 days they said "go fly" and we said "where to?" Those Detroit Deisels will burn anything...

Sounds like you guys got same-same lamp oil...

HJ

[Alistair]

G'day Herc Jerk,

mate, when it comes to flavour of avtur, nothing tastes better than a quick schooie with Lik Lik Buddy when the SP has run out. :ok: You should have given it the taste test, just no ken simok.

lukim yu big pla puk puk

ps check your pm's

[OzExpat]

There's a couple of blokes I haven't heard from for a while, g'day HJ and Alistair. Happy Easter to you both! :ok:

Might not be a very happy Easter here though. A tanker was diverted to Port Moresby and arrived yesterday. The fuel it's carrying has to go through the same quality checks and these are done on a sample that was sent to Oz yesterday morning. Have to hand it to Shell, they've certainly tried to respond very quickly to this foul-up.

Apparently, the tanker carries enough fuel for something like 3 days supply to the airport, on the basis of normal usage.

Last I heard was that they still hadn't ascertained where or how the contamination occurred in the stuff from Napa Napa Refinery, but were still investigating. Meantime, they've been testing the contaminated fuel and found some that could be released, but not a lot of it yet.

Flight schedules are in complete chaos. PX has been running a few flights, notably to Lae (Nadzab) and Hagen. There's a major "bum's rush" every time one of these flights is called and, from what I've seen so far, the quickest of them are the ones getting on the flights, regardless of how long they've been waiting. That might not be correct, but it sure seems like it.

At least all flights are completely full these days...

[Chimbu chuckles]

Last I heard was that they still hadn't ascertained where or how the contamination occurred in the stuff from Napa Napa Refinery,

Oz that's almost funny;)

[OzExpat]

The Inter Oil refinery at Napa Napa sends fuel to the Shell depot at Idubada. From here, it is taken by Shell and Mobil, to serve the airport needs. The most recent and highly confused report I received said that the whole shipment had been rejected by Shell on the grounds on contamination.

The good news is that the fuel from the tanker has passed the Lab test in Oz. I believe that Shell was taking steps, as of this morning, to expedite deliveries to the airport. This morning's newspaper was suggesting that normal fuel supply would be restored to the airport today and, therefore, flight schedules should be back to normal quite soon, though I'm not sure that either PX or APNG believes that yet.

And, of course, the tanker's fuel will not keep the airport supplied for very long, so we're far from being out of the woods on this. :(

[Herc Jerk]

LOL!!.. Nah Chuck, that IS funny;)

Happy Easter to you too, OZ, like Alistair says just send me a sample and i'll tell you its vintage... it seems 2005 isn't a good year for avtur...?

HJ

[Woomera]

"The Inter Oil refinery at Napa Napa......"

Refinery????

Last time I was at Napa Napa there was an old slipyard and half a dozen rusted out World War II landing craft........

But a Refinery - as in refining crude???

Next thing you'll tell me theres now a Playboy Club on the top floor of the Travellodge!!! :}

Woomera

[Lynx206]

Speaking of engines that will burn anything...

I seem to recall a number of smart Air Force types who turned up at Normanton in the mid-80s in their Iroquois Classics. Someone had dumped some DFCs (Drum Fabric Collapsible) full of fuel on the airfield. The logic runs that if the full drums were on the airfield they must have been full of avtur.

Now, despite the oily feel of the said fuel and the advice of a fuel quality control chap who said "I wouldn't fill from these if I were you', said Air Force types managed to refuel a squadron's worth of Hueys with diesel. It is a testament to the engine manufacturer who had the foresight to build these things with a strong tolerance for burning almost anything (including Kurdish lamp oil). The aircraft all took off and flew for over an hour on the 'emergency fuel'.

How we chuckled at the curses of the engine fitters drifting across the still night as fuel tanks were drained and filters replaced well into the early hours of the next morning. And our hats were off to X Sqn when all of their jets were serviceable at first light.

[Animalclub]

Woomera The Travelodge is no longer - I think it's now the Crowne Plaza.

[Point0Five]

For the aussie aviators:

JP8+100 isn't approved for use on RAAF aircraft.... how many times to you reckon it's been used to refuel your aircraft out of US bases?

Food for thought.

[OzExpat]

Yes W, a refinery as in refining crude oil. It even has a 1 NM radius Danger Area around it due to it's proximity to the intersection of VFR routes "India" and "Sierra".