WHEN THE FLC OF AN LGT DECLARED TO ATC A MINIMUM FUEL STATUS; AND ONLY 12 MINS OF FUEL LEFT FOR THE APCH BEFORE NEEDING TO GO TO ALTERNATE ARPT; ATC CLRED TFC AND VECTORED THEM FOR ANOTHER APCH THINKING THAT THE ACFT HAD ONLY 12 MINS OF TOTAL FUEL REMAINING!

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I WAS THE SO ON A B727 FLT TO NEWARK; NJ. WE WERE BEING VECTORED BY ATC FOR THE APCH TO RWY 22L AT NEWARK (EWR). WE WERE ASKED TO MAINTAIN 180 KTS TILL THE MARKER. WE COMMENCED THE APCH; SHORTLY THEREAFTER WE WERE ASKED IF WE HAD OUR TFC IN SIGHT; 4 MI AHEAD. WE WERE IN THE RAIN AND UNABLE TO SEE TFC. TOLD ATC THAT WE DID NOT HAVE THE TFC. WE WERE THEN TOLD TO GAR. WE INITIATED THE GAR AND DECLARED 'MINIMUM FUEL' TO ATC. ATC ASKED HOW MUCH FUEL WAS ON BOARD AND WE REPLIED; ENOUGH FOR 1 MORE APCH AND THEN WE'LL HAVE TO PROCEED TO OUR ALTERNATE. WE WERE THEN ASKED HOW MUCH TIME THAT WAS. WE REPLIED 12 MINS; MEANING 12 MINS FOR THE APCH BEFORE WE HAD TO PROCEED TO OUR ALTERNATE. THE CTLR SEEMED TO UNDERSTAND THIS. WE WERE THEN SWITCHED TO ANOTHER CTLR AND AGAIN DECLARED 'MINIMUM FUEL.' WE ALSO VERIFIED WITH ATC THAT WE HAD 12 MINS FOR THE APCH BEFORE WE WOULD NEED TO PROCEED TO OUR ALTERNATE. THIS WAS ACKNOWLEDGED. WE WERE THEN VECTORED FOR THE APCH; LANDED; AND ASKED TO CALL THE FAA. APPARENTLY; ATC THOUGHT WE HAD 12 MINS TOTAL TIME IN FUEL LEFT. THIS WAS A COM PROB NOW. WHEN ASKED HOW MUCH TIME WE HAD; WE SHOULD HAVE SAID 1 HR TOTAL 12 MINS FOR THE APCH. ALSO; PERHAPS ATC COULD HAVE VERIFIED 'IS THAT 12 MINS TOTAL; OR 12 MINS FOR THE APCH?' AT NO TIME DID WE EVER DECLARE EMER FUEL. WE; THE CREW; THOUGHT ATC UNDERSTOOD WHAT WE WERE SAYING. I GUESS THE SOLUTION WOULD BE FOR BOTH PARTIES TO BE CLR AND VERIFY YOUR STATUS.