The re-opening of Raynor?s gas station after eight months and $800,000 worth of construction was marred yesterday when the owners found themselves out of gas.

The station opened up at 6 a.m. to begin greeting customers and pumping gas but the pumps were dry.

Unbeknownst to owner Reginald Raynor, the Shell Company ? which Raynor?s had operating in partnership with for 20 years ? had turned off the station?s gas pumps.

?Six o?clock in the morning all the customers were coming and nothing happened,? said Mr. Raynor. ?I had to apologise to my customers.?

Mr. Raynor soon discovered the pumps had been turned off because the station is no longer allowed to use the Shell trademark.

Mr. Raynor had workers cover up parts of the service station?s name and five hours later, the pumps were turned back on.

?The words ?Shell? and ?Station? are covered up as we speak,? Mr. Raynor said, adding that a painter has been hired to change the sign permanently on Monday.

Asked about the gas interruption, the president of the Shell Company in Bermuda, David Rose, said he was not able to comment on the problems that arose between Shell and Raynor?s ? other than to say that it was ?contractual issue?.

Despite the delayed start, Mr. Raynor said he bore Shell no ill feelings although he was disappointed.

?The sad thing about it was that we were all set to start business today and he knew that, Mr. Rose knew that,? he said.

?In business you have to try not to allow these things to affect you because you have to do business with them.

?You have to do your best to resolve these things and move on. I just hope we can have smooth sailing from this point on.?

The Raynor gas station opened in 1958, and while its 20-year partnership with Shell has changed, Mr. Raynor is expecting business to carry on as usual, including a special ceremony held on August 26 to honour the re-opening.