Pipeline breach causes jet fuel shortage in New Zealand
15 September 2017
Dozens of flights from Auckland Airport have been cancelled after the a 168 kilometre pipeline carrying jet fuel, petrol and diesel from an oil refinery at Marsden Point in Northland to tanks in Wiri, south Auckland was cut by a digger on September 14. A spokesman from the refinery, owned by Refining NZ, estimated the pipeline would take between 10 and 14 days to fix.
Image: Air New Zealand
The length of time was due to the difficult nature of the site near Ruakaka where the pipeline had been cut, the spokesman said, and the need to have repairs properly certified.
According to Board of Airline Representatives New Zealand, its 28 members were looking at carrying out extra refuelling stops outside New Zealand. Some long-haul flights to and from Asian and North American countries would stop to refuel at Australian and Pacific airports.
Prime Minister Bill English said he had a received a high-level briefing on the issue and that the Government would offer all the assistance it could to the companies affected.