Petrobras' bunker sets a sales record

10/3/2009

The deliveries of bunker (ship fuel) in 2008, in domestic ports, adding internal sales and fleet supply, rose to 5.219 million tons, surpassing the previous record, of 4.963 million tons, set in 2007. Of this total, the sales portion grew 6.8%, to 4.471 million tons, compared to 4,184 million tons a year earlier. The added value of the commercial bunker operations topped-out at a record $135.8 million, 60.9% more than in 2007.

The main ports responsible for this increase were Santos (State of São Paulo), with a record movement of 1.913 million tons, 7.74% more than in 2007; Rio de Janeiro, also with a record movement of a million tons, a 2% increase compared to a year earlier; Paranaguá, at 523,000 tons delivered, 16.5% more than in 2007; and Vitória and surrounding region, moving 384,000 tons, a 54% growth over the previous year’s mark.

These records are the outcome of several factors, including the alignment of efforts to come closer to major foreign-based riggers, suppressing third-party intermediation; operating optimization at the main ports; increased competitiveness with international prices; greater product availability on account of the integration in the downstream area, as well as because of the entrance of new feedstock currents; and blend imports based on leased tankage in Rotterdam.

The efforts made in 2008, including the imports of 150,000 tons of bunker, allowed the company to supply the market’s needs in full at a moment of extremely favorable prices.

Petrobras press release