Wholesale / Refi ning
“Against a backdrop of volatility in the
fuels market, the past 12 months has seen
Phillips 66 continue to invest in our supply
infrastructure and further enhance our
customer proposition, ensuring that our
customers can rely on us for security of
supply,” commented Mary Wolf, managing
director UK marketing.
“Following the move of our marketing
department to sit alongside our commercial
colleagues in our London offi ces, customer
service has remained a key area of focus
across our operations. As part of our
commitment to offering wholesale customers
dynamic spot pricing at our core terminals,
we’re currently rolling out our new My Phillips
66 Pricing Portal. The interactive portal will
enable customers to view live pricing and
place online orders to lift over a period at a
fi xed price. This will enable us to offer different
pricing mechanisms to suit customers’ needs
and to manage peaks and troughs in demand.
“The pricing tool, together with our wider
technology offering including our DTN TABS
online product allocation system, our Codas
System-to-System e-Invoicing system and
other back offi ce solutions, demonstrates
our continued commitment to developing
Phillips 66 – security of supply
solutions which deliver operational and
fi nancial benefi ts for our customers.
“As a business we’re continually evolving,
and the coming months will be spent
engaging with our customers to gather their
views on how we can we can further support
them. We will also continue our investment in
Prax Group – customer support
every step of the way
The last 12 months have been exceptionally
active for wholesale suppliers to the UK’s
downstream fuel distribution market.
Participants have had to grapple a great
number of challenges – from the operational
and commercial effects because of changes
to RTFO legislation, the operational impacts
brought about by snow and freezing conditions
following the arrival of the Beast from the East
– only to be shortly followed by the hottest ever
summer on record – even beating 1976!
Add into this mix macro and geopolitical
instability due to concerns regarding North
Korea, Iran and the rhetoric resonating from
the new government in Washington, coupled
with the continued uncertainty surrounding
Brexit leading to an ever-weakening pound,
it is no wonder that oil prices have remained
extremely volatile and ultimately on an upward
trend.
Encouragingly the Prax Group is well-
positioned to cope with such demands and
our terminal facilities and share updates on
developments, such as the extensive capital
investments made to enhance Bramhall
terminal’s capability and our 16-year
throughput contract with CLH Pipeline System
signed at the start of 2018.”
despite the challenging backdrop, it continues
to focus on investing globally and within the
UK market as it seeks to continually broaden its
appeal to customers.
“The strategic decision to expand kerosene
at Grangemouth, Dagenham, Grays and
Jarrow has been an excellent one. Importantly,
customers were able to take advantage of
kerosene’s increased availability within our
terminal network, especially during a prolonged
winter,” stated sales director Stephen Rhodes.
The UK market had to adapt promptly to
the immediate practicalities that were brought
due to the RTFO increase to 7.25% which
increases to 8.50% on 1 st January 2019.
“As a result suppliers will increasingly need
to consider the direct inclusion of biofuel within
gasoil and the anticipated introduction of E10
at the forecourt,” commented Stephen.
“Many large consumers of gasoil have
been traditionally reluctant to accept biofuels,
with this legislation now driving change.
Listening and consulting with customers, where
practicable we would like to provide product
choice; where available, this choice has been
appreciated by customers.
“In a changing world, customers can be
assured that they can depend on the Prax
Group to support them every step of the way.”
Fuel Oil News | October 2018 17