According to businessmen of the sector, the constant growth of the vehicle fleet explains the investments that have been made in the opening of new service stations in El Salvador.
At the beginning of 2019, there were 455 service stations in operation in the Salvadoran market, according to data from the Hydrocarbons and Mines Directorate of the Ministry of Economy.
A decrease has been reported in the number of gas stations owned by the state company, which in 2011 began an aggressive expansion plan in the country.
The perception that gasoline is of poor quality and that management of the business has not been the best, are two of the reasons to which, in part, the reduction in the number of gas stations owned by Alba Petróleos has been attributed.
Puma Energy has announced the purchase of 100% of the capital stock of the Panamanian company Tropifuels, which operates Tropigas fuel service stations throughout the country.
In a statement the company dedicated to the distribution of oil and gas explained that with the acquisition of Tropifuels S.A.
The plan is to invest $8 million to expand its network of service stations, in order to reach 102 gasoline outlets.
In addition to new gas stations, the company Puma Energy also plans to build two other convenience stores of the brand Super 7, increasing the total number of stores to 36.
The company aims to increase its market share in the country and plans to invest $80 million in the construction of a fuel storage facility.
The company is preparing to build its own infrastructure in order to increase its business in the Panamanian market. Besides the construction of the plant, Puma Energy is looking to venture into new lines of business, such as selling jet fuel and asphalt manufacturing and lubricants.
Starting April the maximum permitted amount of sulfur will be 500 parts per million, and higher amounts of sulfur in diesel may only be used for electricity generation.
It is expected from the second week of May the new diesel will be publicly available at an additional cost of $0.06 per gallon, approximately.
The company received the authorization to expand the jet fuel plant in Comalapa and plans to invest $20 million between 2015 and 2016 to improve the capacity of the plant in Acajutla.
Expansion of the terminal near the Comalapa airport will cost approximately $1 million and will allow for storage of up to 16,000 barrels of jet fuel to meet demand from the airlines with which it holds contracts.
There has been a reduction in the number of independent gas stations and an increases the presence of corporate brands.
The gas stationsbusiness in Guatemala has been transformed in recent years, as fewer and fewer service stations are being operated by independent companies, many of which have sold their establishments or been acquired by international franchise brands.
Puma Energy Service stations and distributors of Castrol in the isthmus will market the lubricants Castrol GTX, Castrol Magnatec and Castrol EDGE.
A statement from Puma-Energy reads:
CASTROL AND PUMA ENERGY JOIN FORCES IN CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA
February 5, 2013 - Puma Energy LLC ("Puma Energy"), one of the largest independent oil companies in processing, marketing and distributing fuels and Castrol the leading lubricants company in the world, announced the creation of a strategic alliance to commercialize Castrol automotive lubricants in the Central and South America market.
The multinational Puma Energy is passing on administration of service stations operations to Nicaraguan entrepreneurs.
The Swiss company Puma Energy, which bought Exxon Mobil's operations in Central America, is applying a decentralization policy to the management of its gas stations in Nicaragua.
The Swiss oil company has completed the takeover of the assets of Exxon Mobil in Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama.
The Exxon Mobil assets to be transferred to Puma Energy include 300 service stations, two refineries, the addition of three terminals, two airports and a marine bunker fuel supply which supplies 20% of the regional market, all of which involves managing a 20 million barrels of oil per year.
Puma Energy has agreed to the terms established by the Governing Board of the Superintendency of Competition in El Salvador, complying with the proposed requirements in order for the merger to be authorized.
The Puma Energy Company has accepted and carried out the ex-ante condition established by the Board of Directors of the Superintendency of Competition (SC).
The Superintendence for Competition in El Salvador requires proof that the economic concentration will bring significant gains in efficiency, with direct benefits for consumers.
A press release from the Superintendency of Competition (SC) reads:
There are eight importers who supply more than 1,250 service stations; companies compete to attract customers with better services.
The purchase of Shell’s operations by Unopetrol, and Esso’s by Puma Energy, has spurred competition and is transforming the fuel sales market, with the opening of new retail outlets and additional service offers, such as car washing.
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