PTT oil, LPG business to grow 3-4%
PTT's non-petrol station businesses are expected to post growth of 3-4 per cent next year, the same as the GDP forecast.
Atthapol Ruekphiboon, in charge of international market-|ing for the oil business, excluding petrol stations, said last week that the economic problems in Europe and the US would not affect the LPG and oil business in Thailand, thanks to the continued growth of Asean economies including Thailand’s.
PTT’s oil business would grow along with the country’s economy.
The flooding would not severely impact the country’s economic growth next year or only in the short term, as the government plans to inject money in restoration efforts.
The private sector will also rehabilitate its operations in the post-flood era and that will require petrol.
Atthapol oversees PTT’s sales of oil products, the oil business in Indochina and LPG, but not petrol stations. The main customers are in the aviation and shipping industries.
Last year, PTT’s businesses under his care sold nearly 10 |billion litres of petroleum pro-ducts, of which 3 billion were jet-fuel oil, 2.8 billion bunker oil, 2.5 billion LPG and 1.4 billion oil in Indochina.
Despite the hike in the LGP price next year, according to the government’s policy, LPG demand will continue to grow, as LPG will still be cheaper than petrol.
Next year, PTT will continue to import 1 million tonnes of LPG, the same as this year, as domestic demand will still surpass local production capacity, he added.
