PTT eyes mega stations in expressways

MANILA, Philippines - PTT Philippines Corp., a unit of state-owned Thai oil giant PTT Public Co. Ltd., is planning to put mega-stations along the major expressways by next year, a company official said.

Roby Tanjuatco, PTT Philippines marketing officer, said they are currently looking at various locations in both North Luzon and South Luzon Expressways.

He said they are also looking at the feasibility of building a mega-station along the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX).

The PTT official said they are studying if it would still be viable to put up a mega station along SCTEX since their retail network is concentrated in Subic.

According to Tanjuatco, PTT would be concentrating on expanding their retail business next year.

“We will be more on retail because we are largely on wholesale and commercial business. But we want to promote our brand,” he said.

He said they may put more stations in the provinces.

“We’ve expanded in Cebu, I think we have eight or nine stations already in Cebu. And in the North and Central Luzon, we continue to look at that,” he said.

He said the company currently has about 50 stations nationwide.

For the remainder of the year, they would be constructing five more stations.

This year, the company is expected to put up 13 new retail stations, seven of which have already been established.

He said next year, they are likely to put up about the same number of retail stations.

The PTT executive did not quantify the investments for the expansion program. But based on industry estimates, one medium-sized retail station would cost from P10 million to P20 million.

Earlier, Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras said they are trying to convince PTT, along with other investors, to continue to help in promoting competition in the Philippine oil industry.

“We are trying to encourage competition. It would help if they (PTT) would decide to get bigger here,” he said.

In Thailand, PTT operates some 1,200 stations and five of six refineries.

Almendras also confirmed that PTT is still interested to participate in the proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) program of the Philippine government.

The company earlier expressed interest in putting up a 1,200-megawatt LNG facility in Limay, Bataan.

Aside from its pump business in the country, PTT supplies petrochemical products to local manufacturers.

Based on PTT statistics, the Philippines is one of the top five countries for PTT’s export of plastic products in Thailand.