Shell eyes expansion in SCTEx

MANILA, Philippines -  Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. is set to expand in the north to service motorists traversing the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx).

The north is the place for expansion because it is underserved, Shell vice president for retail Lawrence Anthony Yam said.

“We’re eyeing expansion in the north, in the south, we’re pretty well positioned. It’s more on going to the north of Luzon,” he said.

The company has earmarked P12 billion over the next three years, or P4-billion each year, for its retail network expansion, bitumen project, and refinery optimization. Of the total, 20 to 25 percent is allocated for retail expansion.

In terms of new stations, Shell is looking at building between 50 and 70 stations per year. Last week, the oil firm inaugurated its 1,000th station in Eton in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

Yam said there is a lot of opportunities to put up a retail station along the SCTEx – four-lane, 94-kilometer stretch that traverses Bataan, Pampanga and Tarlac. It is directly linked to the North Luzon Expressway.

“We did some study on the TPLEx (Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway). And for now, I think the traffic does not warrant all those retail stations being built there. The opportunity lies outside of TPLEx still. There are provinces that are positioned before TPLEx that you can build better sites,” he said.

In 2016, average traffic increased 16.6 percent year-on-year to 45,026 daily vehicle entries, based on latest data from operator NLEX Corp.

Meanwhile, the 88.6-kilometer TPLEx is still under construction, with northernmost terminal in Rosario, La Union targeted for completion by yearend or early 2018.

Tourism Secretary Wanda Corazon Teo earlier said at least 20,000 vehicles daily would benefit from the recent opening of the exits in Pangasinan (Rosales, Urdaneta and Binalonan) from Tarlac City.

The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) has previously urged oil firms to put up service stations along SCTEx as traffic volumes are expected to increase.

So far, two oil companies – SEAOIL Philippines Inc. and PTT Philippines – have bagged contracts from BCDA to put up mega stations along the expressway.

Seaoil opened its SCTEx station south-bound side of the Clark-Tarlac segment in Concepcion, Tarlac in October 2016. It partnered with CityMall Commercial Centers Inc., the mall development arm of Double Dragon Property Corp., for the service station, which has yet to be completed.

Just right across is the PTT-SCTEx station, which opened its two-hectare station last January, consisting of an eight-pump gasoline station, a convenience store, a five-star public toilet and PTT’s signature coffee shop, Café Amazon.