Metro Manila, Philippines – The Department of Energy (DOE) said on Monday it has not ordered an additional batch of diesel supply, as current inventory remains sufficient.
Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said the country still has more than one million barrels of diesel in storage.
In its weekly report, the DOE said the local oil supply could last for 52 days, with diesel stocks estimated at 50 days.
“We still have our one million barrels, or 158 million liters—it’s there and we haven’t used it yet. So we keep it at that muna kasi sufficient pa naman and we have 52 days supply,” Garin said, noting limited storage capacity should additional diesel be procured.
Garin also assured that the agency, through the Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC), is prepared to acquire more diesel supply if needed.
“Ready naman yung PNOC to order more but we need to balance it properly lang na may paglalagyan at kailangan pa,” she added.
[Translation: The PNOC is ready to order more, but we need to balance it properly to ensure there is storage and that it is necessary.]
DOE Undersecretary Alessandro Sales said the third shipment, containing around 320,000 barrels of diesel, will arrive on Tuesday, April 21, and will be offloaded at the Philippine Coastal Storage and Pipeline Corporation facility in Zambales.
A fourth cargo, carrying about 330,000 barrels of diesel, is expected to arrive in Davao City on April 24.
This brings the total diesel ordered by the agency to 1.12 million barrels, including earlier shipments that arrived on March 26 and April 10, carrying 142,531 barrels and 329,650 barrels, respectively.
