Fiji Gas | History

The Fiji Gas story begins with four Colonial Sugar Refinery (CSR) engineers based in Lautoka who decided that LP Gas was a good future energy source and arranged to bring gas stoves and gas cylinders into Fiji. They registered Ready Gas (Fiji) Limited on 17 March 1956, but before they could begin, they were repatriated. Shareholders WLD Harvie Limited took on the business, struggling initially to create the demand for gas and then juggling to meet supply demand.

The turning point for the gas industry in Fiji was the partnership between Ready Gas and Mobil Oil Australia when they signed a 10-year supply contract in 1964. Ready Gas changed its name to The Fiji Gas Company Limited and Mobil built a 160-tonne storage tank and discharge lines at Walu Bay. Consistent gas supply was now assured.

Fiji Gas agents can now be found in all major towns on Fiji's two main islands, a branch office is set-up in Sigatoka and a road tanker purchased to provide deliveries of bulk gas. In 1972, Fiji Gas accepted an offer from The Gas Supply Company Ltd, a subsidiary of Boral Ltd of Australia, making Boral a 50 percent shareholder in Fiji Gas.

The association with Boral (now Origin Energy) meant access to not only supply but also expertise in the LP Gas industry and their investment contributed to the growth of Fiji Gas. Today, Fiji Gas' seven terminals, including two in Tonga, have a combined capacity of over 1375 tonnes, and they employ 110 permanent staff.

This is the story of the pioneers of the gas industry in Fiji. It is the story of the people behind the flame who took it from a company with a paid capital of £2 in 1958 to one with an operating profit of over F$2 million in 2005.