Downstream

Upgrade of Gas Stations

The National Petroleum Marketing Company, which was created by an Act of Parliament in 1972, inherited a network of over two hundred retail service stations. There were no changes to the company’s plant and equipment until 1998 when NPMC implemented a programme to upgrade fourteen sites, nine of which starting with Richmond Street were branded as Quikshoppes and the other five Convenience Stores including Orange Hill, Tobago. 

The company has an ongoing programme of upgrade based on an optimum site selection in terms of fuel sales volumes and the need to have an even spread of the programme of asset modernization. In 2004 the Company secured funding for the exercise through the Government’s Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP).  The Quikshoppes were funded by NPMC and the latter convenience stores from 2004 are being funded under the PSIP.

There are two main dimensions to the company’s upgrade programme.

Fuel Upgrade:

1. The first one has been borne mainly out of concern for the environment.  Many of the stations that are still in operation in NPMC’s retail network were built without adequate consideration for the environment and were acquired by NPMC with underground steel tanks (USTs) with single walls that have been found to be leaking petroleum fuels into the environment. The company has accepted the responsibility to operate with a higher level on diligence to the environment. The PSIP provides NPMC with funding to undertake underground steel tank replacement and storage capacity enhancement which entails the installation of modern underground double walled storage tanks made of either fibre glass or glass steel, all possessing secondary containment and leak detection capability.

Full Upgrade:

1. The other dimension of the upgrade programme funded by the PSIP involves a full upgrade through a complete knockdown and rebuilding of some service station sites. This is to permit the establishment of either a full service facility or a gas bar facility.

2006/2007

During 2006/2007, NPMC upgraded thirteen stations, and also undertook a Tobago White Oils
Storage Project. Using the Gas Bar Model the following service stations were developed and
Upgraded:

1. Beetham
2. St. Augustine
3. Wrightson Road
4. Carrousel
5. Valencia

While, these stations underwent only fuel :

1. Penal
2. Guapo
3. Tabaquite
4.  Manzanilla
5.  Tobago
6.  Fyzabad
7.  San Raphael
8.  Arouca

2007/2008 - During 2007/2008, NPMC began upgrades at ten stations