oil pier.

The docking stage for oil tankers will be overhauled in 1999, to safeguard it for the next 20 years.

Esso Bermuda's new general manager, Ed Edelson, said the work would mark the pier's first upgrade since 1979.

He said the firm had yet to finalise a budget for the project, which is to go out to tender.

"There is no doubt that we need to make some structural improvements to the pier,'' said Mr. Edelson. "Engineering design and evaluation is already taking place and we see this pier as a very critical facility. Virtually all the product on the Island comes through that pier.'' Even Esso's rival Shell uses the pier for its own shipments of oil.

And Esso has a ship bringing in thousands of barrels of fuel every 70 days.

US technicians have already visited Bermuda to work on plans to rebuild the 475-foot pier, which holds miles of piping to link up with Esso's huge tanks.

Divers have also been down to check how much work is needed to rebuild the pier.

"This pier has been here since the late 1950s,'' added Mr. Edelson, now in his second month in Bermuda after arriving from Florida. "And we need to make sure we can preserve it -- because it's in a harsh marine environment.

"About 20 years ago, a storm came up very quickly when a ship was tied on and it couldn't be released fast enough.

"It ended up doing some damage to the pier and there was a pretty big overhaul then.

"Now it's time for another improvement, simply because of wear and tear.'' Mr. Edelson said work on the pier reconstruction was only in the "preliminary stages''.

"Now we are evaluating the structure and the equipment required,'' he said.

"It's not going to be a simple task, which is why our engineers are looking at it so closely.

"Divers have also been sent down to examine conditions. We will soon be in a position to put the work out to tender. We are trying to make the pier good again for another 20-odd years.

"It's not going to fall down tomorrow but it needs to be updated for the future ships which are getting bigger and have higher freeboards.'' Ed Edelson Graphic file name: EDED