The Fuel Tanker at Ball Bay January 2024

This week the tanker ship Duzgit Venture Valletta arrived at Norfolk Island with a fuel delivery. The crew anchored the fuel ship at Ball Bay on Monday 22 January. They commenced unloading the fuel and worked through the night to complete the transfer of diesel and petrol to the storage fuel tanks. On Tuesday morning the vessel departed our shores after completing the first delivery for 2024.

Duzgit Venture Valletta is an Oil/Chemical tanker built in 2009 and is sailing under the flag of Malta. The fuel ships deliver fuel to Norfolk Island about three or four times a year.

It is always interesting to watch the cargo ships as well as gas and fuel ships as they deliver important cargo to Norfolk Island. Ball Bay does not have a manmade harbour but has safe anchorage for the fuel and gas delivery. The bulk fuel depot for the gas and fuel storage tanks are at the base of the hill. The ships anchor in the bay and fuel is pumped through specialised hoses to the shore and into the fuel tanks.

This week there has also been another tanker anchored off Puppies Point on the western side of Norfolk Island. This LPG Tanker is named Epic St Vincent, and sails under the flag of Singapore, and was built in 2008.

The next cargo delivery is due from New Zealand at the end of January. MV Norfolk is at the Auckland port and once the cargo is loaded the vessel will be returning to Norfolk Island for the first delivery of sea freight for 2024.

Thank you to the crew and local workman for working through the night and safely filling the fuel tanks for the Norfolk Island community. Attached are photos taken by my friend Esther, plus other images I took in July 2020 of Duzgit Venture Valletta.

Betty Matthews

26 January 2024