B747 PLT CONCERNED HE MAY HAVE FLOWN WITH AN ENG THAT USED TOO MUCH OIL.

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DURING PREFLT OF THE ACFT; I WAS BRIEFED THE ACFT HAD A HISTORY OF EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION ON THE #1 ENG. ALSO; ON THE LAST FLT; A LOGBOOK ENTRY WAS MADE THAT STATED THE #1 ENG CONSUMED 1.9 QUARTS PER HR OF FLT. THIS CONSUMPTION RATE WAS GREATER THAN ANY OF THE PREVIOUS LOGBOOK ENTRIES. IT WAS ALSO GREATER THAN THE AMOUNT OF OIL SVCED FOR THE LENGTH OF FLT (15 QUARTS FOR 12.8 HRS; WHICH EQUALS 1.17 QUARTS PER HR -- WHICH WAS MORE IN LINE WITH THE PREVIOUS CONSUMPTION RATES. THE MAINT PERSONNEL AT THE STATION (HONG KONG) EVALUATED THIS RATE AND SIGNED OFF THE WRITE-UP AS CONSUMPTION WITHIN LIMITS PER THE MAINT MANUAL. THE REF WAS SHOWN TO ME. IN THINKING BACK; THE REF MAY HAVE STATED THAT THE CONSUMPTION RATE WAS GIVEN IN PINTS; NOT QUARTS; BUT I AM NOT SURE NOW WHAT IT SAID AS THERE WAS A LOT OF CHAOS AT THE TIME. THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A LANGUAGE PROB BTWN THE STATION MAINT PERSONNEL AND THE MAINT CTLR AND MYSELF WHEN THIS ISSUE WAS DISCUSSED. THE CONSUMPTION RATE OF 2 QUARTS PER HR (THE LIMIT IN THE MAINT MANUAL); IF CORRECT; SEEMS TO BE EXCESSIVE AND THAT 2 PINTS PER HR WOULD BE MORE IN LINE. THE OIL CONSUMPTION WAS MONITORED VERY CLOSELY FOR OUR FLTS HKG-CTS AND CTS-ANC. THE FLTS WERE COMPLETED WITHOUT INCIDENT OR PROBS AND THE CONSUMPTION SEEMED TO BE LESS THAN ON PREVIOUS FLTS. AT FOREIGN LOCATIONS; LANGUAGE DIFFICULTIES ARE ALWAYS A PROB; PARTICULARLY WHEN IT IS A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION AND SPECIAL CARE NEEDS TO BE TAKEN. ADDITIONALLY; CARE AND TIME NEED TO BE USED EFFECTIVELY AND NOT GET IN A HURRY TO MAKE THE 'ON-TIME' TKOF.