FPIC willing to use pipeline to help spur economy

MANILA, Philippines - First Philippine Industrial Corp. (FPIC), a unit of First Philippine Holdings Corp. of the Lopezes, is willing to use its pipeline facilities to help spur economic activities in the country.

“FPIC is ready to respond to the urgent needs of the times,” the company said.

The company said it is prepared to address the petroleum supply problem at the country’s prime airport.

“As a contribution to national development, one of its pipelines may deliver jet fuel directly to Ninoy Aquino International Airport at a much lower transport cost, avoiding potential runouts of airline fuel supply,” the company said.

Company sources said if the pipeline of FPIC will undertake this delivery, the cost would go down by 30-50 percent.

FPIC’s other pipeline can also be used to warrant the construction of a natural gas plant in Metro Manila.

“Another pipeline may be utilized to deliver Malampaya’s natural gas to Metro Manila at a much lower transport cost in order to make clean fuel available quickly for industrial and vehicle use or for power generation,” the company said.

The Department of Energy (DOE) earlier said it is planning to convert some of the power plants like Limay and Sucat into a liquefied natural gas (LNG)-run facility.

There is also a plan to put up a gas pipeline loop in Luzon starting with a 100-kilometer Batangas-Manila gas pipeline to support the development of these LNG-run facilities.

DOE sources have said that the utilization of the existing pipelines of FPIC may be pushed instead of building a new pipeline.

FPIC currently owns and operates the sole, largest commercial oil pipeline in the country, transporting crude and refined petroleum products from Batangas to Metro Manila. 

It was established in 1967 primarily to service the fuel requirements of Meralco and the oil refineries in Batangas.

FPIC’s pipeline system consists of two main pipelines, one for the refined petroleum products (the “white” line) and the other for heavier petroleum products (the “black” line).

First Gen Corp. exercises organizational supervision over FPIC, while the company is 60 percent owned by First Holdings, in partnership with Shell Petroleum Co., Ltd. ( UK ) which owns 40 percent.

In 1992, the Energy Regulatory Board renewed FPIC’s concession to operate its pipelines for another 25 years.in People (UK).