fuel tankers news stories on Newser

Alaskan Towns Low on Fuel as Ice Delays Delivery

Matt Cantor — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:55:33 CST

A harsh winter is taking a heavy toll on fuel supplies in Alaska. Two villages in the midst of 45-below temperatures have almost run out of heating oil, forcing a Noatak town store to ration borrowed supplies, the Anchorage Daily News reports. The village of Kobuk has turned to a...

German Officer May Have Misled US Fighters in Civilian Disaster

Jason Farago — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 07:08:07 CDT

Just before 2am on Sept. 4, German Col. Georg Klein gave a two-word command—"Weapons release!"—and US fighter jets bombed a pair of tanker trucks in Kunduz, Afghanistan, killing 100 Afghans clustered around them, many of them civilians. Although his tour has ended, the officer is still in Afghanistan,...

Dozens of Afghan Civilians Killed In NATO Tanker Strike

Jason Farago — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 04:38:54 CDT

At least 90 people were killed in northern Afghanistan today when a NATO air strike hit two fuel tankers hijacked by the Taliban, setting off a massive explosion. At least 40 of the dead were civilians, said officials. Many more people are injured, and the local hospital in Kunduz province...

Boeing Looks to Old 777 Model in Airbus Battle

Matt Cantor — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:57:13 CDT

With its 787 Dreamliner delayed, Boeing is turning to its 14-year-old 777 to compete with Airbus’ next plane, Bloomberg reports. At the Paris Air Show today, Boeing said it may make a new wing for the 777 in an effort to boost fuel efficiency, and will also showcase a 777-based...

Pirates Free Saudi Tanker, Get $3M Ransom

Matt Cantor — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 10:09:59 CST

A Saudi tanker taken by Somali pirates in November has been freed after a $3 million ransom was paid, a pirate negotiator said. Pirates have left the ship, which is now headed to safety. The Sirius Star, which carried 2 million oil barrels and 25 crew members, was the largest...

Pirates Hijack Saudi Oil Tanker

Nick McMaster — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 11:36:42 CST

Pirates flying the Liberian flag hijacked a Saudi Arabian oil tanker today, the BBC reports. The Sirius Star is now bound for the port of Eyl, Somalia, a common destination for pirates to unload their booty. Currently holding its full load of 2 million barrels, the Sirius Star contains one-quarter...

Pentagon's New Bid Rules Favor Northrop: Boeing

Nick McMaster — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 11:41:03 CDT

The Pentagon issued new criteria yesterday for the second round of bidding on its lucrative fuel-tanker contract, Bloomberg reports, and Boeing backers immediately cried foul. The new terms give bonus points to a plane that carries more fuel than the earlier guidelines, which Boeing officials and congressional allies claim favors...

For Boeing, Warplanes Are Becoming History

Matt Cantor — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 15:34:41 CDT

As Boeing makes fewer military aircraft and more hardware systems, its commercial and defense arms look increasingly like separate companies, the Seattle Times reports. "These are two legs walking in opposite directions," one analyst says. While airplanes continue to dominate its commercial side, the company, once a military-aircraft mainstay, now...

Stunned Boeing Presses USAF to Explain Choice

Matt Cantor — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 14:20:51 CST

Boeing is calling for an “immediate debriefing” on the Air Force's choice of a foreign company to build its fuel tankers, Bloomberg reports. The selection of Airbus and Northrop Grumman is to be the subject of a scheduled March 12 meeting, but Boeing says that isn’t protocol. “We would expect...