Remember the Australian Avgas probelms?

Challenge diesel problem

Source: The Dominion

Publication date: Jan 21, 2000

Challenge has asked 37 independent South Island retailers to stop selling diesel from its Timaru terminal after testing showed a 1000- litre tank did not meet New Zealand specifications for flashpoint temperature. Challenge general manager Bob Constantine said motorists might notice irregular engine running. He advised them to top up with fresh diesel as soon as possible. Petrol at the terminal is not affected, nor are diesel or petrol in the North Island.

Publication date: Jan 21, 2000 ) 1999, NewsReal, Inc.

Link to story:

http://beta.newsreal.com/cgi-bin/NewsService?osform_template=pages/newsrealStory&ID=newsreal&storypath=News/Story_2000_01_25.NRdb@2@19@3@518&path=News/Category.NRdb@2@7

-- Carl Jenkins (Somewherepress@aol.com), January 26, 2000

Answers

Thank you Carl!

Is it me? Or, does there seem to be a slight increase in troubles like this than say, January of 1999?

We're only 26 days into this new year and this industry seems to have more trouble than they did last year...all year.

perception vs. reality?

Mike

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-- Mike Taylor (mtdesign3@aol.com), January 26, 2000.

I agree. It really appears that there are significant problems out there in the oil industry, and in the short term, they aren't going away. Hopefully...things get fixed before significant social disruptions occur.

-- nothing (better@to.do), January 26, 2000.

Mike- somewhere on this forum the past week or so it was stated that last year the oil industry had 93 "incidents", and over 400 so far just in the first 3 weeks of January. Can the media say the words "Y2K" or "embedded systems", or did the Almighty God of the Stock Market Temple strike them dumb?

-- lyn (lynhettler@hotmail.com), January 26, 2000.

Carl, Some additional background information may help here. Challenge is a relative newcomer to the New Zealand market, and has been distributing in the South Island for less than a year. The big four traditional fuel/oil distributors in NZ have being doing their utmost to limit competition and one of the ways that they are doing this is by refusing to allow the Marsden Point Refinery (which they own) to supply product to Challenge. Therefore Challenge must import its product from overseas.

As most users of diesel in USA will already know, diesel can come in a range of flashpoints. It would not make sense to use the same grade of diesel in Florida as in Canada, because the higher flash point diesel would probably freeze in the tanks in Canada. The shipment that Challenge are warning motorists about arrived in NZ with a flash point of 70*C instaed of our required 60*C. It simply wasn't blended to our specs.

-- Malcolm Taylor (taylorm@es.co.nz), January 26, 2000.