No rain affects shipment

By CLARISSA MOI
PUMA Energy has taken replenishment options to supply fuel supply across the country despite environmental factors, general manager and director Hulala Tokome says.
Responding to a query from The National on Friday that customers in Wewak were experiencing fuel shortage, Tokome said low levels of water in the Fly River in Western had delayed vessels in getting fuel to Wewak.
He said the vessel that serviced Kiunga was the same that serviced Wewak and other outer ports.
Tokome said due to the low water levels in the Fly River, it had a flow on impact on Wewak hence the delay, where they scheduled tanktainers and drums of unleaded petrol which arrived in Wewak last week and supplied fuel to customers.
“Even though there has been environmental factors such as the Fly River level not in our control, we have been able to overcome this obstacle by having in place replenishment options which we have been able to deploy immediately in order to mitigate stock issues throughout the country,” he said.
Ok Tedi Mining Ltd chief executive and managing director Peter Graham last week said as a consequence of the low water levels in the Fly River, the company had limited stock of fuel such as diesel and explosives and other vital materials and concentrate storage in Kiunga was approaching capacity.
In response, Tokome said: “For Kiunga/Ok Tedi, the river levels have had an impact on our vessel getting into Kiunga to unload.
“The discharge of fuel into Kiunga was successfully done this week (last week), hence Kiunga does have fuel.
“Our vessel that services Kiunga (Ok Tedi) was delayed due to the river levels which has had a flow on impact to Wewak as this same vessel services Wewak and outer ports of which we have had to service with our other vessel.
“This vessel is expected to get into Wewak on Jan 6 (today).
“With the delays on the Fly River, we had scheduled for tanktainers and drums of unleaded petrol (ULP) to be sent to Wewak which had arrived in Wewak this week (last week) and has been supplied to our customers.”