First private import of super 95 gasoline: Primax will bring 20,000 barrels on December 25

Primax will make the first import of 20,000 barrels of super premium 95 gasoline on December 25. It is a “historic import”, since it was the starting point for the incursion of the private sector in the importation of this type of derivatives into the country. so announced the Minister of Energy, Fernando Santos Alvite. The State official also explained that this high-quality fuel will be sold at gas stations affiliated with Primax.

Santos recalled that Petroecuador introduced two better quality gasolines and free prices this year: ecoplús 89 and super premium 95 on the market. However, he said, lacked business sense and has not done the proper promotion.

On the other hand, he stated that since the time of Minister René Ortiz and in the government of President Guillermo Lasso generated the regulations so that private companies could import fuels and that the conditions are similar to those of Petroecuador, so as not to make the products more expensive. So, he said, it is good news that private companies are now taking advantage of this opportunity. For Santos, this could be a first step for more private companies to import fuel.

According to Santos, the interest of the private company in this import can be read as the company thinks that there will be greater interest from consumers in better gasoline. He acknowledged, however, that this is a country that pays more attention to prices than quality, but consider in the world the price of gasoline is falling.

Thus, for example, an imported 85-octane gasoline in the port costs $2.15 in the US, if 80 cents were increased for transportation and utilities for gas stations, it could be sold for $2.95 within the country, he indicated. . The 89 octane might sell for $3.10. It also considers that imported 95 octane gasoline could be priced at $3.40.

He believes that gasoline imported by private companies may have better prices than those imported by Petroecuador, especially since the public company charges many costs for its operation. Among them, the cost of its staff of employees, which at the moment are 10,000.

In this sense, he considers that with these more affordable prices, consumers will surely migrate to the best gasolines, especially considering that adding 85 octane gasoline to a vehicle from 2015 onwards is like adding poison and causing premature damage.

Meanwhile, Oswaldo Erazo, executive director of the Chamber of Distributors of Oil Derivatives (Camddepe), explained that as a union they agree that there is free importation of fuels. He recalled that the inconvenience to carry out these operations was the issue of Petroecuador’s infrastructure. He explained that the fee for the use of infrastructure will surely be maintained, but warned that products cannot be mixed. In any case, he expressed his hopes that this initiative be carried out.

He further argued that currently Super 95 gasoline has a market share of barely 2.5% and he thinks that said percentage could be increased in the future. Instead, about the ecoplús 89 said that this one has the 1×1,000 of the market, in this sense, in his opinion, it would not be justified to bring this type of fuel.

Erazo explained that there is a dynamic market in the country and that the Primax marketer is the one that sells the most super gasoline nationwide. In any case, he also recalled that Petróleos y Servicios is the one that manages the most gas stations nationwide. (YO)