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Published on April 18, 2008

Energy Reporters

The Nation

Viraphol Jirapraditkul, director-general of the Energy Policy and Planning Office, said alternative fuel consumption jumped in the first quarter.

Gasohol consumption rose 108.4 per cent, to 7.4 million litres a day from 3.6 million in the same period last year.  Gasohol 95 alone accounted for 5.76 million litres.

Daily gasohol E20 demand rose to 29,000 litres in March, up from 9,000 litres at the start of January.

The Energy Ministry plans to raise daily gasohol consumption to 12 million litres by this year.

Biodiesel B5 demand in the first quarter also rose 778 per cent on year, to 5.9 million litres from 0.68 million.

As of March, 65,349 vehicles run on natural gas, burning up 45 million cubic feet per day.

Bangchak Petroleum also expected the April sale volume of gasohol 95 and gasohol 91 to grow 10 per cent from the previous month, to 46 million litres. The sale volume of biodiesel B5 should be 67 million litres, up 12 per cent from March.

The results are in line with continued rises in global oil prices.

It was reported yesterday that the price of oil from Opec countries should hit a record high of $106.65 per barrel.

Light sweet crude also touched an all-time high above $115 a barrel amid concerns about sagging petrol supplies ahead of a peak period in the summer driving period. Dubai crude oil on Wednesday reached a historic high of $104.58 per barrel.

PTT president Prasert Bunsumpun said he believed the crude oil average would not fall below $90 this year. If domestic prices were moving along the global level, petrol and diesel prices would average Bt35 per litre.

Yesterday, Shell also raised its retail diesel price by 50 satang to Bt32.94, as refined diesel in Singapore now cost over $140 a barrel.