Only unleaded fuel now sold in PNG

PAPUA New Guinea’? oil industry has taken a major step towards safeguarding the environment by choosing to sell only unleaded fuel in the country. And some of the country’s major car dealers are happy with the move.

Oil industry majors made the

announcement early January in public notices saying they had decided to sell only unleaded fuel as from January 1. The companies said the use of leaded petrol was not necessary any more.

“By using unleaded petrol, you will gain the advantage of having a cleaner operating engine resulting in increased life of spark plugs, exhaust pipes and engine oil. The shift will help reduce harmful levels in the

atmosphere.

“The only physical change the public will notice during this transition is that the color of motor spirit will change from red to purple,” the notice said.

The automobile companies said they supported the change and saw no drastic effects, to their trading, sales or otherwise.

According to the oil companies - which include BHP, Mobil, Niugini Oil Company

and Shell - the unleaded conversion is to bring the country in line with worldwide and regional trends in improving air quality.

The oil industry said the car dealers in the country had been informed and had accepted

the change.

PNG Motors general manager Rob Shiel

said the conversion from leaded fuel to unleaded had been done in Bangladesh and an African country and was in line with regional and international trends. He said many countries were involved in the transition and PNG was following that.

Shiel said PNG Motors saw nothing which would be negative from the change.

He said the only problem that may appear would be for very old cars that would have to make adjustments. He said there would be few such cars around.

Boroko Motors branch manager Kevin Eckersley said the conversion would not affect the sale of vehicles but would bring the old and new vehicles in line.

Eckersley said the change was for the better because it was a move to reduce pollution and, specifically, lead in the air and the environment. “The change is seen as an

advantage. Pollution will not be so bad for the environment as well as for people.

Adjustments will have to be made and old cars will have to be tuned,” he said.

Eckersley said car owners would spend some money to make the adjustments, but it would not be much. Shell retail manager and

spokesman of the oil companies, Tim Lai, said that the conversion of petrol and outboard motor fuel to unleaded fuel was in line with world trends to improve air quality by reducing exhaust fumes.

Lai said the conversion had been done by reducing the lead content in petrol from 96 per cent to 92 per cent. He said that all vehicles, which were manufactured in the past 15 years, had been designed to run on leaded as well as unleaded fuel.

He said only very old cars would need to make adjustments, and should speak with their local car dealers or the Motor Traffic office.

Lai said that the owners of old cars will need to see their local car dealers and get their cars fitted with lead injectors, which will inject lead into their car systems. He said the oil companies hoped to help as much as they could. (Post Courier) ■

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