MARIVELES, Bataan- Oilink International Corporation on Saturday sponsored a tour of its oil depot in Lucanin, Mariveles as it maintained that it is a separate entity from Unioil.
Asked of allegations that Oilink and Unioil are one, Lawyer Raymond Zurilla answered that it has no basis. “Habang walang deklarasyon ang korte na ang dalawang kumpanya ay iisa, hindi dapat sirain ang pagiging magkaiba nito,” Oilink‘s legal department head said.
Arnel Tanda, the firm’s operations manager, declared that Unioil is just one of their clients.
Aside from Unioil, Zurilla said two airline companies, one food conglomerate and some other oil firms lacking in facilities avail themselves, for some fees, of Oilink’s storage tanks in the 80,000-square meter terminal.
At the oil depot near the sea are 21 vertical storage tanks that can hold one million barrels of oil products or the equivalent of 159 million liters. Among the petroleum products handled in the oil storage are unleaded gasoline (mogas), diesel (gasoil), kerosene and some asphalt.
As for the purpose of the plant tour, the chief legal counsel said they just wanted to make it known that Oilink, as the leading independent oil player in the country, has world-class facilities.
Zurilla made it clear that they do not maintain gas stations but that they are engaged in terminalling/storage, trading and marketing of various fuels that Oilink imports.
“Welcome Guests”, said the streamer hung at the closed terminal gate that on October 13, operatives of the Presidential Anti Smuggling Task Force (PASG) climbed and forcibly opened during a raid “to prevent illegal withdrawal of petroleum products.”
The lawyer said they have filed a civil case for injunction against the PASG but refused to further comment so as not to violate the rule on subjudice.
After an Oilink Bataan Terminal Walkthrough Briefing, the tour participants composed of mediamen and some employees passed by giant oil tankers waiting for their turn to be loaded with petroleum products at the loading bay.
Coming into full view were huge storage tanks of different sizes and then the walk through giant pipelines and oil valves almost in the middle of the sea where vessels unload and load petroleum products.
From the long lines of rows of pipelines where supplies of diesel, base oil, mogas, BFO and other oil products are transported, the giant storage tanks became visible in full view of a mountain afar as backdrop.
A climb at the top of a giant storage tank through the steep steel stairs was rewarding as the whole view of the surrounding became clearer. The storage tank has the capacity to store 19,580.178 liters of diesel.
