BP fuels Sealord vessels

5 September, 2012

BP fuels Sealord vessels

BP Oil NZ and Sealord have signed a new supply agreement that will ensure the Nelson-based fishing company has access to the quantities of fuel it needs to run its growing business.

A Sealord trawler, F.V. Thomas Harrison, took on 55,000 litres of light fuel oil (LFO) at Nelson on Sunday as the first of many transactions under the agreement. Today, 400,000 litres of light fuel oil will be transferred to F. V. Professor Aleksandrov in Dunedin.

“We’re proud to be able to offer fuel to Sealord under this agreement,” said BP New Zealand Managing Director, Matt Elliott. “New Zealand’s deep sea commercial fishery is hugely important to our economy and Sealord is responsible for around one third of it.”

“That first load was actually quite a small one,” said Mr. Elliott, “but the 400,000 litres we’re putting into vessels in Dunedin better reflects the volume we’ll be dealing with during each visit.”

“And with a newly refurbished tank at our Nelson terminal – exclusively for the use of Sealord vessels – we will always have that volume available to them. A major part of BP’s commitment to Sealord is about security of supply.”

In the past, ships have arrived at port and been unable to get the large amounts of fuel needed. Not only are these vessels required to cover great distances in New Zealand’s often rough seas, they also use fuel as ballast, counteracting the heavy nets they use to haul in the catch.

“BP has assured Sealord their vessel captains can be confident there will be no wasted time in port waiting for fuel to come in,” Mr. Elliott said.

Sealord General Manager New Zealand Fish, Doug Paulin said: “BP has made a commitment to ensure supply, which will improve Sealord’s efficiency and reduce the costs associated with supply uncertainty.”

Each month, on average six of Sealord’s nine ship fleet are expected to dock at either Nelson or Dunedin to take on fuel.

“The agreement between BP and Sealord also means that BP can retain its strong presence in Nelson and Dunedin, and go on contributing to the ports, and to the wider economy,” Mr Elliott said.

ENDS

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