16
Fuels & Lubes International Quarter Three 2015
United States. The first LPG
deal between the United
States and China was made
by small private firms, like
BurnhamGreen Oil, in
2013. Last year, however, a
major LPG deal was signed
between China’s largest
oil refiner, Sinopec Corp.
and Phillips 66, a Houston-
based oil refiner. Sinopec,
which is also China's top
ethylene producer, wants to
use LPG as petrochemical
feedstock. The U.S.
government restricts
exports of crude oil and has
slowly loosened exports of
LNG, but there are no limits
on LPG exports.
Burnham brokers these
deals, matching potential
buyers with appropriate
sellers. She’s had partners
in the U.S.A., Mexico, Spain,
Nigeria and Asia.
So how does she know
when a deal has potential?
“When you have something
that the other person wants
and you can get it to them at
a fair price,” she explained.
Determining a fair price
sounds straightforward
when Burnham describes
it. “You know what it’s
trading at, you know what
your logistics are going to
cost you. You develop the
relationship and the deal…
there is always enough
money to take care of
everyone on both sides.”
Specialty products like
lubricants involve smaller
volumes. “You’re not going
to make the same amount
of money in lubricants as
with commodities. It’s a
whole different ballgame,”
she admitted.
Nonetheless, Burnham
said there are other factors
at play. “Again, it goes back
to you have to have fun, you
have to love what you’re
doing, you have to be with
good people.”
Business deals are just
like any relationship, she
said. “The point is to make
the relationship [work].
They want us and we want
them. And we all make a
little bit of money.”
Logistics are important,
she said, because shipping
by railcar from the the
U.S. Gulf Coast to the West
Coast for example would be
expensive. And sometimes
a deal is just not possible
because the seller’s asking
price doesn’t match the
buyer’s expectations.
Burnham said that
although it’s not easy to
walk away from a deal, it’s
important that she keep
her integrity. “I believe it
is the number one quality
someone should have.”
She said this is why people
continue to do business
with her. Likewise, she
makes sure that her
partners “are people with
integrity. They have to pass
the litmus test.”
As a woman in the
still male-dominated oil
business, in the heartland
of oil country, she
sometimes encounters
some resistance. But
she is relentless and has
proven that hard work
really does pay off. Her
days can sometimes start
as early as 6:30 am and
she could be closing deals
at dinnertime on Friday
nights.
Burnham sometimes
competes with oil majors on
contracts, which is not easy.
“Mary A. Burnhamworks
Monday through Saturday,
maybe Sunday. But I love
what I do,” she said.
你开发了这个合作关系，找到这
个交易……总能为双方留下足够
的盈利。”
特种产品，像润滑油，通用量比
较小。“你从润滑油上挣的钱和大
宗商品不一样，这是两种完全不
同的游戏，”她承认。
但是，Burnham说，这中间有
许多因素。“同样，你得从中获得
乐趣，你得喜欢你所做的事，你得
遇到好人。”
生意就像任何关系，她说。“关
键在于要让这种关系[产生效果]。
他们需要我们，我们也需要他们。
我们也都要能挣到一点钱。”
物流很重要，她说，因为从加
勒比沿岸用火车运到西海岸成本
很高。有时候，卖家的报价与买
家根本对不上，那么这项交易就
不可能。
Burnham说，虽然放弃交易并
不容易，但更重要的是做生意要
讲诚信。“我认为这是一个人最重
要的品质。”她说，这就是为什么
其他人一直和她做生意的原因。
同样，她也确保她的合作伙伴“也
是诚实的。他们必须得通过这个
测试。”
作为一个女性，在由男性主导
的油品业务中，在石油王国的中
心，她有时也会遇到阻力。但她不
曲不挠，证明了辛苦工作一定会
有回报。她的一天可能从早上六
点半开始，也可能在周五晚餐时
达到一项交易。
Burnham有时也要与石油巨
头竞争，这当然并不容易。“Mary
A. Burnham从周一工作到周六，
也可能是周日。但我喜欢我做的
工作，”她说。
