A B737-200 FLC ALMOST DIVERTS FROM APCH TO DEN WHEN FUEL IS LOWER THAN ANTICIPATED DUE TO UNFORESEEN TFC DELAYS.

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FLT MSP-DEN -- DEN APCH CLOSED DOWN THE ARR GATES INTO DEN AND HELD ALL ACFT. I WAS RELEASED WITH 14200 LBS OF FUEL FROM MSP. I HAD 15300 LBS AT DEP. DEN WX DID NOT REQUIRE AN ALT. AT 80 DME NE OF SNY WE ENTERED A HOLD AT XA40 WITH THE EFC OF XB00. AT THE TIME I HAD 5500 LBS OF FUEL ON BOARD. I CALCULATED MY DECISION FUEL TO BE 4500 LBS. NORTH PLATTE; LBF WAS CLOSE AND VFR. AT XB00 WE WERE CLRED DIRECT SNY. THE PROB WAS THAT DENVER HAD TOO MUCH CONGESTION: AFTER LEAVING THE HOLD WE WERE VECTORED OFF COURSE 5 DIFFERENT TIMES AND DSNDED TO FL250. WE INFORMED ZDV THAT WE WERE NOW MINIMUM FUEL AND THAT WE WOULD GO TO NORTH PLATTE (LBF) IF THERE WERE ANY MORE DELAYS. FUEL ON BOARD AT THIS TIME 4600 LBS. ZDV DID NOT EXPECT ANY MORE DELAYS AND CLRED US VIA THE SAGE ARR TO DEN; AND THEN HANDED US OFF TO DEN APCH. DEN APCH TURNED US AWAY FROM THE ARPT. WE AGAIN INFORMED APCH THAT WE WERE MINIMUM FUEL. THEN ATC CLRED US TO 11000 FT PLT'S DISCRETION. AT 3600 LBS I COULD NO LONGER CONTINUE TO BE VECTORED AWAY FROM THE ARPT SO I DECLARED A MINIMUM FUEL EMER. APCH IMMEDIATELY CLRED US IN AND WE ACCEPTED A VISUAL APCH. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. STANDARD OPS IS TO LAND WITH 4000 LBS. WE LANDED WITH 3000 LBS.