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THE
corporation which transformed parts of a Manila dumpsite
into a port is currently in talks with the country’s
three biggest petroleum companies for the possible
relocation of their Pandacan oil depots to an area near
the North Harbor.
The
chief executive officer of the Harbour Centre Port
Terminal Inc. (HCPTI) told reporters that while
negotiations with oil companies are at initial stages,
among the proposals being discussed is the creation of a
$200-million “Oil Island” located in front of the Manila
Harbour Centre.
“Due to
the demand for oil tanks, [the oil companies] are
[telling] us as they will be moved from the highly
populated Pandacan area. Hopefully we can offer
something for them in the future,” said Michael L.
Romero. “We plan to have a separate oil island wherein
they will have their own facility. It will be connected
via a bridge going through the Harbour Centre and then
going out of Manila.”
The
country’s three biggest oil companies—Petron Corp.,
Pilipinas Shell and Chevron—maintain their depots in
Pandacan. Besides supplying half of the Philippines’
total oil demand, the facility also provides
three-fourths of the country’s aviation fuel needs, and
70 percent of the local shipping industry’s fuel.
Currently, only Total Philippines has its depot at the
Harbour Centre, which was declared as a special economic
zone. If HCPTI clinches the deal, it would be able to
increase its cargo volumes substantially.
Since
the project involves a huge sum, Romero said that HCPTI
would only construct the facility if Petron, Shell and
Chevron agree to have their depots relocated near the
port it operates. He also proposed that the oil
companies shoulder some of the expenses through equity.
According to Romero, HCPTI is still coordinating with
various government agencies so the port operator can
secure a permit for the area’s reclamation.
Discussions regarding the Pandacan oil depot relocation
started soon after terrorists attacked the
United States
in September 2001, with authorities claiming that the
densely-populated areas could also be similarly
threatened.
The city
government of
Manila
also passed an ordinance reclassifying the area from an
industrial to a commercial zone, a move that effectively
closed down the oil depot. However, a lower court has
issued an order preventing the city government from
implementing the said ordinance.
In June
2002, Petron, Shell, Caltex, the Department of Energy,
and the city of Manila signed an agreement which
intended to help scale down the oil companies’ Pandacan
operations. Two years later, the oil companies then
formed a joint venture to operate the oil depot, the
Pandacan Depots Services, Inc. |
