Philippine Daily Inquirer: Shell to sell ethanol-blended gas: “Shell chair Edgar Chua said in an interview that the oil firm was now conducting studies on the feasibility of selling ethanol-blended gasoline directly from their pumps.”: Friday August 26, 2005

By Abigail L. Ho

NOT TO be outdone by its smaller counterparts, oil refiner Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. is considering selling ethanol-blended gasoline by next year.

Shell chair Edgar Chua said in an interview that the oil firm was now conducting studies on the feasibility of selling ethanol-blended gasoline directly from their pumps.

Ethanol is a good program. Were already doing our studies, looking at the necessary logistics. If we see that we can do it, we can start selling the product by next year, he told the Inquirer.

He said ethanol, because of its chemical composition, should be handled more carefully.

Ethanol required proper handling, he said, particularly if the product would be imported. This could not be placed into contact with water as this could readily absorb water, which could then affect its composition.

Also, ethanol could not be placed in just any ordinary storage tank, he explained, to prevent contact with water or water vapor.

Should Shell start selling ethanol, he said modifications would have to be made on its underground tanks that would be used to store the product and on the pumps that would be used to dispense it.

Also, since there was still no local ethanol supplier, he said Shell would initially have to rely on imported ethanol.

New player Seaoil Petroleum Corp. will start selling gasoline with a 10-percent ethanol blend in 105 service stations nationwide starting next month.

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