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BUNKERINGOur Goal is to Expand withNew Bunkering StationsAegean first entered the bunkering market in Piraeus and today has a network of bunkeringstations expanding from the Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf and from the Atlanticto the Caribbean.Aegean’s plans for the future goeven further, with more stationsoutside Greece, said Mr.Nellos Filopoulos, bunkering managerof the company, in an interview recentlywith Naftika Chronika (MarineJournal), which the Aegean News isrepublishing below for its readers:Do you believe that Piraeus can re-enterthe bunkering market from a position ofstrength?Most ships going to the Black Sea used tocome to Piraeus for bunkering. That iswhat was happening two years ago.Many things have changed since then.After consistent increases in the pricescharged by refineries, Piraeus’ competitiveadvantage was lost and as a result theports of Istanbul and Gibraltar as well asthe Suez Canal became much more attractiveby comparison. If we want Piraeusto become competitive again, therefineries should revise their currentpricing policies. In addition, some timeconsumingand extremely complex customprocedures should be simplified.Aegean, however, continues its expansionin bunkering, establishing new stations.Aegean gradually expanded to Gibraltarand Fujeirah in the United ArabEmirates, after becoming the leadingbunkering supplier in Piraeus, thanksto its experience. In Gibraltar, after fiveyears of strengthening its operations,Aegean is now competing against industrygiants such as the state-runSpanish Cepsa, Shell, and ChevronTexaco.As far as the developing Fujeirahport is concerned, Aegean already hasan important share of the local market,"If we want Piraeus tobecome competitive again,refineries should reviewtheir pricing policies"even though it has only been there for ashort time. A fourth bunkering stationis under way in Venezuela with the cooperationof the national PDVSA.Aegean has already started deliveringfuel using two of the company’sbunkering ships, Nikaia (built in 1985,with a capacity of 4,000 DWT) in theport of Amuay Bay, and Evros (built in1993, with a capacity of 2,000 DWT)in the greater Maracaibo Lake region.We will soon be able to sell fuel in thesetwo ports. Our immediate goals includeestablishing other bunkering stationsoutside Greece which will improve thesales of our products and increase theAegean tanker income.Will small companies that do not belongto multinational consortiums be able toface such tough competition?The difference in operational costsbetween multinational companies andsmall companies is enormous. Theneed to reduce these costs is one of thereasons leading to so many mergerssuch Chevron-Texaco, Exxon-Mobil,and Totalfina-Elf. In the bunkeringmarket, Aegean is an independentcompany with an international salesnetwork, which enables it to competewith the multinationals. Aegean hasbeen ISO 9002-certified since 1999by the international firm Lloyds, and itis on the Fobas White List, ranked asone of the most reliable suppliers.Our ‘secret’—if I can call it that—isthat we don’t follow the "civil servantmentality." We are available 365 daysper year, on a 24-hour basis, and we¡ellos Filopoulosµunkering Sales Manager of AegeanMarine PetroleumNellos Filopoulos began his career inshipping in 1979 following his shippingstudies in England. From 1987–1992 hewas BP's sales manager for bunkers inPiraeus. From 1992,he worked as amanager of twotrade bunker companiesin London.He is currently thesales manager ofAegean Bunkering.22 AEGEAN NEWS SPRING 2003