Malaysia to start Euro compliant fuel imports early Aug

Malaysian oil companies will start importing Euro 2-compliant gasoline and diesel from early August to meet the country’s full switch to tighter fuel specifications that will come into effect September 1, industry sources said Wednesday. At the same time, oil companies will start importing 95 RON gasoline, as the same deadline of September 1 will see the country phase out 92 RON grade in favor of 95 RON. Malaysia typically imports 97 RON gasoline, because of a lack of secondary refining units to produce high octane gasoline. At the same time, 97 RON — together with Shell’s V-Power, which has an octane rating of 99 RON — is the dominant grade in the country for now, taking up 95% of market share while 92 RON accounts for the remaining 5%. Malaysian oil companies have now started phasing out 92 RON gasoline at their respective oil terminals, but the impact on imports from the change in fuel specifications will only kick in from August. This will make BHPetrol the second retail chain in Malaysia to launch 95 RON gasoline. “Chevron Malaysia Limited will start selling 95 RON Caltex with Techron petrol at our retail network of more than 420 Caltex service stations by September 1, 2009,” Jeremy Oh, the country chairman of Chevron Malaysia, said in an e-mail reply. (June 24, 2009)