Bangchak imports refined oil from Singapore

BANGKOK, July 10 (TNA) - Bangchak Petroleum Public Company Limited or Bangchak, a large state-supported Thai petroleum firm, has now imported about 100 million litres of refined oil a month from neighbouring Singapore, after a blast with a subsequent fire at its No.3 refinery unit in Bangkok last Wednesday. Bangchak President Anusorn Sangnimnuan said on Monday that the temporary shutdown of the No.3 oil refinery unit, located in Soi Sukhumvit 64, has disrupted the company's production status, as the damaged facility had the highest production capacity of up to 80,000 barrel per day. The Bangchak top executive acknowledged that his company has, therefore, imported some 100 million litres of refined oil monthly from Singapore, starting from this week although the imports will result in its lower gross corporate profit by 400-600 million baht this year, from an overall gross profit of about 7 billion baht earlier targeted. According to the Bangchak president, the cause of the incident has not yet been concluded pending a thorough probe by an insurance company and the damaged refinery unit will then be rebuilt with its completion set within three months thereafter. The Bangchak president acknowledged that some 107 households in nearby areas have been affected by last week’s blast, mostly from broken doors or windows and fallen ceiling tiles, and that Bangchak will improve its check-up and maintenance plans at refineries, but the company has no plan to relocate its No. 3 refinery unit out of the area. (TNA)