1 Draft Feasibility Study for Distribution of petroleum, LPG and Lubricants throughout Ethiopia HASS PLC Table of content Title Pa ge No I. Executive Summery 1 II. Background of the document 2 Overview of Ethiopia 2 Overview of Energy sources and energy policy in Ethiopia 6 Overview of Ethiopian policy towards to LPG, Kerosene and other related by products 8 III. Market Analyses 10 Nature and size of demand for petroleum products 10 Project ownership and structure 10 Proposed Location 11 Past Demand 11 Forecasted Demand 12 Supply & Distribution 13 Types of Products 14 Target customers 15 Competitors Analysis 15 Marketing 18 IV. Regulations, Licenses and incentives (Legal analysis) 19
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1Draft Feasibility Study for Distribution of petroleum, LPG and Lubricants throughout Ethiopia HASS PLC
Table of content
Title
Pa
ge
No
I. Executive Summery 1
II. Background of the document 2
Overview of Ethiopia 2
Overview of Energy sources and energy policy in
Ethiopia 6
Overview of Ethiopian policy towards to LPG,
Kerosene and other related by products 8
III. Market Analyses 10
Nature and size of demand for petroleum products 10
Project ownership and structure 10
Proposed Location 11
Past Demand 11
Forecasted Demand 12
Supply & Distribution 13
Types of Products 14
Target customers 15
Competitors Analysis 15
Marketing 18
IV. Regulations, Licenses and incentives (Legal
analysis) 19
2Draft Feasibility Study for Distribution of petroleum, LPG and Lubricants throughout Ethiopia HASS PLC
Regulatory Requirements 19
License 19
Pre-Qualification for License 19
V. Environmental Analysis 20
Location of the project 20
Environmental analysis 21
VI. Financial Analysis 21
Initial Project Costs 21
Expansion Project Costs 22
Price of Fuel 23
Risk on investment for Petroleum investment 23
Income statement 24
VII. Conclusion 27
VIII. References 28
3Draft Feasibility Study for Distribution of petroleum, LPG and Lubricants throughout Ethiopia HASS PLC
1. Executive Summery
The purpose and scope of this feasibility study is to assess the feasibility of distributing LPGs, petroleum and related products and lubricants like: Diesel Engine Oils, Petrol Engine Oils, Gear Oils, 2 stroke, Engine Oils, Brake Fluid, Hydraulic Oils and Industrial Gear Oils throughout Ethiopia as whole seller and retailer. In addition to the provision of Fuels, Lubricants, other specialized products like Modern Car wash, Lub change, Supermarket, Cafes and Restaurant Services will be implemented by outsourcing to others.
The project feasibility will form the basis of an important investment decision and in order to serve this objective, the document covers various aspects of the business concept development, start-up, marketing, and finance and business management. The document also provides sectoral information, brief on government policies and international scenario, which have some bearing on the project itself. The report divided in to nine parts with annex and reference.
All the material included in this document is based on data/information gathered from various sources and is based on certain assumptions. And as much as possible we used the most trusted and recent sources for the study.
The HASS petroleum Group is a regional Oil marketing company, incorporated in 1997, with significant presence in East Africa and Greater Lakes region. From its beginning as a fuel seller, HASS petroleum is now a renowned Oil Marketer with full fledged in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Southern Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, and the democratic Republic of Congo. And in 2013 it will start in Ethiopia after the legal and investment activities finalized.
The initial cost of the project is estimated to be 84,600,000birr_ with a payback period of 4 years and 6 months. IRR and NPV of 29%and birr 121,847,000 respectively. Version Control
Type of Document
Feasibility study for LPG , Kerosene and related supplies
4Draft Feasibility Study for Distribution of petroleum, LPG and Lubricants throughout Ethiopia HASS PLC
Prepared by Grace ConsultantVersion 1.0Issue date May 30, 2012Revision Date May 31, 2012
2. Background of the document
a. Overview of Ethiopia
Ethiopia is an independent republic which lies in the north-east corner of Africa and forms part of the North East African Region. The capital city is Addis Ababa, headquarters of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). Since the secession of Eritrea in 1993, Ethiopia has been a landlocked state. The official language is Amharic but other languages like English and Italian are used in commerce. The local currency is the Ethiopian birr.
The Ethiopian economy is based on agriculture, which accounted, in 2009/10, for about 42 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP), 75.9 percent of foreign currency earnings. In 2009/10, the industrial sector, which mainly comprises small and medium enterprises accounts for about 13 percent of GDP. The services sector accounts for about 46.1percent of GDP.
Real GDP grew by an average of 11.3 percent per year for the last Seven consecutive years (2003/04-2009/10), which is the highest among the non-oil producing economies of Africa. During 2006/07, 2007/08 and 2008/09, the general annual inflation was 15.8, 25.3 and 36.4 percents, respectively, and dropped to 2.8 percent in 2009/10. These were largely driven by the trend of the food component of price which showed 21 percent annual average growth during the indicated fiscal years. The budget deficit as a percent of GDP was only 1.3 percent in 2009/10
The Ethiopian economy has grown stronger as the transition from a command to a market-based economy takes place. The former system of price controls has almost been discarded, the tax rates have decreased, and several private sector restrictions have been removed. Progress has been made on the implementation of reforms. Valued Added Tax was introduced in the country in January 2003 and the import tariff regime has been reformed. The financial sector is also improving, with flexible interest and
5Draft Feasibility Study for Distribution of petroleum, LPG and Lubricants throughout Ethiopia HASS PLC
exchange rates that are market-determined. Ethiopia belongs to the COMESA agreement. Member countries enjoy preferential trade terms. Ethiopia has similar agreements with a number of countries and the EU.
In the Growth and transformation plan (GTP Plan), the government expected to boost the real GDP from 10.1 to 14.9 percent. Projection of export of goods assumed to grow at a faster rate in response to the adoption of export promotion policy measures. According to the GTP plan for the five years, exports of goods are expected to grow by 36.6% in 2010/11 and 28.4% percent annual average in the remaining period. With regard to transportation, in 2015, all Kebeles (100%) will connected to all weather roads with an average time of 1.4 hrs to reach nearest all-weather road .
The National Bank of Ethiopia is the central bank of the country. Commercial banking functions are performed by the state-owned Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) and an increasing number of private banks . The number of banks operating in the country reached seventeen: three of them government-owned and the rest private (NBE home page).
The Ethiopian tax law provides for the imposition of direct and indirect taxes. The direct taxes are divided in to five categories: personal income tax, rental tax, withholding tax, business profit tax and other taxes. The main types of indirect taxes applicable are value added tax, custom duty, excise tax and turn over taxes.
Ethiopia has abundant supply of skilled workers in various fields at internationally competitive rates. Wages and salaries vary on the type of profession and level of skill required. They are determined by agreement between the employer and the employee.In conformity with the international conventions and other legal commitments, Ethiopia has enacted its labor law to ensure the worker-employer relations be governed by the basic principles of rights and obligations with a view to enabling workers and employers maintain industrial peace and work in spirit of harmony and cooperation.
The labor law has fixed hours of work as eight hours a day and thirty-nine hours a week. Work done in excess of these hours is deemed to be overtime. Labor disputes in
6Draft Feasibility Study for Distribution of petroleum, LPG and Lubricants throughout Ethiopia HASS PLC
Ethiopia are resolved through the application of the law, collective agreements, work rules, and employment contracts. Foreign investors obtain work permits for their expatriate employees directly from the Ethiopian Investment Agency (EIA). The EIA processes applications of work permits in an hour.
All transactions in foreign exchange must be carried out through authorised dealers under the control of the National Bank. Payments abroad for imports require exchange licences, obtainable upon presentation of a valid importer’s licence, exchange licences are also granted in any convertible currency requested. All imports require a licence. There are no free trade zones in Ethiopia.
Addis Ababa, the capital city, is linked by road to the port of Djibouti, at the Gulf ofAden. The port of Berbera in Somaliland and Port Sudan are other external trade routes that provide services for export-import trades of the country. Another potential port accessible to Ethiopia is Mombassa in Kenya. In order to ensure efficient, cost effective and reliable import and export movement of cargo to and from the sea ports of neighboring countries, the government has established the Dry Port Service Enterprise. The Enterprise is currently operating two dry ports which are located at Modjo, in the Oromiya Regional State, and at Semera, in Afar Regional State.
b. Overview of Energy sources and energy policy in Ethiopia
Ethiopia’s known energy resources essentially consist of wood fuels, animal dugs and agricultural residues, which are overexploited, and hydropower, which are being exploited,, crude oil which is largely untapped. Ethiopia has proven reserves of fossil fuels in the form of natural gas and coal as well. The energy resource potential of the country includes several hundred million tons of coal and oil shale, and over 70 billion cubic meters of natural gas. However, only a very small portion of this potential is developed owing to lack of financial resources, skilled manpower and more importantly appropriate policy and planning. (GTZ (2007)
According to the 1997 World Development Report (World Bank, 1997), the per capita commercial energy for Ethiopia in 1994 was 22 Kilograms (Kg), while for low income economies it was on the average 369 Kg and for high income economies it was 5066 Kg.
7Draft Feasibility Study for Distribution of petroleum, LPG and Lubricants throughout Ethiopia HASS PLC
As you can see from the above table, nearly all the remaining energy needs particularly for domestic purposes are covered by fuel wood, the supply of which has led to a very rapid depletion of the natural forest resources and vegetation cover. Due to frequent usage of fuel wood for energy supply in the country, the forest resource coverage has dropped from 35 percent coverage to less than 3 percent. As a consequence of increased environmental degradation, Ethiopia is facing a cyclical draught and famine.
According to the GTP Plan, by 2015 maintaining facilities and construction of the storage for petroleum, the reliable and steady supply of petroleum will be secured. Inthe next five year it is planned to increase the present generating capacity which is 2000 MW to 8,000 up to10, 000MW at the end of the plan period (2014/15) with electricity power coverage of the country to 75%. In addition by 2015:
Increase the production of bio- ethanol to 194.9 million litter at the end of the planning year through coordinating the governmental and private sugar industries,
Increase production of bio diesel up to 1.6 million litters through involvement of Private investors, farmers, etc. In general, the development of bio-fuel will generate 1 billion dollar foreign currency,
Increase the number of blending facility of benzene-ethanol from 1 to 8 and that of biodiesel to 72 by oil companies.
Sea port utilization ratio will reach 60:30:10 for Djibouti, Berbera and Port Sudan, respectively
Fuel transportation by Ethiopian ships will reach 3.6 billion ton in 2014/15
8Draft Feasibility Study for Distribution of petroleum, LPG and Lubricants throughout Ethiopia HASS PLC
Ethiopia has vast hydropower resources and only a small fraction has been developed. The developable hydropower potential is estimated at 30,000 MW, located primarily along the Blue Nile and its tributaries.
Very limited and very few proportion of the population in Ethiopia have access to modern fuels. The per capita modern energy consumption is about 0.02 tones of oil equivalent (TOE), which is one of the lowest in the world(ESMAP-Energy Sector Management Assistance Programme Ethiopia-Energy Assessment Report No. 179/96.)
To initiate production and utilization of potential energy sources, the Government of Ethiopia for the first time has approved a National Energy Policy, which was issued in May 1994. The policy clearly identifies the need for the promotion of private sector participation in the energy sector development. The New Investment Code Proclamation No. 37/1996 and the Amendment Code Proclamation No. 116/1998) further strengthened this initiative. And, for the exploration and exploitation of petroleum resources, which also includes gas resources, the Government has issued Petroleum Operations Proclamation No.295 of 1986, Petroleum Operations Income Tax Proclamation No.296 of 1986 and a Model Production Sharing Petroleum Agreement (1994).
c. Overview of Ethiopian policy towards to LPG, Kerosene and other related by products
Ethiopia, at the moment, is a net importer of petroleum products. White and black petroleum products are imported directly by the Ethiopian Petroleum Enterprise (EPE) through third party suppliers. Upon receipt from third party suppliers, EPE stores the products at Horizon Terminal in Djibouti and then distributes the different grades mainly Gasoline (Benzene), Gas Oil (Naphta), Kerosene, Light fuel oil, Heavy fuel oil and Jet fuel to Oil companies and these companies distribute the fuel through a fixed margin structure set by the government. In addition, EPE imports Gasoline (Benzene) from Sudan. For the supply of Gasoline in Addis Ababa, EPE has made an agreement with Nile Petroleum, a Sudanese Oil Company operating in Ethiopia, where the latter conducts blending of Gasoline with Ethanol (E5) at its depot in Sululta (Northern Part of Addis Ababa with 15 KM distance from the center)and distributes E5 to Oil Companies.
9Draft Feasibility Study for Distribution of petroleum, LPG and Lubricants throughout Ethiopia HASS PLC
The market is regulated by the Restatement of the Distribution Agreement (DA) which gives the power of supervision to the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoTI). The authority to set and monitor petroleum product prices and margins is granted to the MoTI through the DA, and the DA also provides for monitoring and related activities of petroleum sector regulations, such as operations, safety and environmental issues.
All of Ethiopia’s petroleum products is imported. Ethiopian Petroleum enterprise isresponsible for the procurement of petroleum products through competitive international bidding on and as – needed basis. International oil companies like Total, NOC, Oil Libya handle distribution. These companies in the market are granted an oligopoly in downstream operations by virtue of the Distribution Agreement (DA) andin effect, the companies are self-regulating in many respects. Petroleum, Ethiopia’s major source of commercial energy is crucial to the functioning and growth of the economy.
Ethiopia is also believed to hold a huge potential for energy and mining. The nation’s current efforts in the areas of hydroelectric power projects and exploration of Oil and Gas are clear testimonies of the government’s determination to unleash its natural resources. Ethiopian industry, transport and commercial sectors largely depend on imported fuel. The amount of foreign currency spent for the importation of petroleum products is very significant and it is between 19 to 28 percent of the export earnings(National Bank of Ethiopia, 1999.)
Distribution of Petroleum
To date, petroleum products distribution activities are done according to the Restatement of the Distribution Agreements signed periodically between the MoTI and the petroleum distribution companies (whole sellers) like Total, NOC, Oil Libya operating for more than 30 years in Ethiopia. The Government organ that signed the Distribution Agreement and regulates the implementation and overall petroleum distribution operation is MoTI. Distribution Agreement focuses on the process of delivery, supervision, measurement, accounting procedures, price determination, transportation etc.
10Draft Feasibility Study for Distribution of petroleum, LPG and Lubricants throughout Ethiopia HASS PLC
The Government is the one that determines the inland wholesale and retail selling prices. According to the Agreement, the Government takes factors such as CIF (cost of insurance and freight) cost of product, transport, duties and taxes, company's marketing expenses, profit and dealer's commission into account for petroleum price determination.
3. Market Analyses
3.1 Nature and size of demand for petroleum products
Petroleum is one of the most traded items in the world. Petroleum is a necessity product and the nature of its demand is inelastic. Unlike other businesses whose demand is impacted by price and other economic variables, the consumption of petroleum products in Ethiopia continues to increase even in the face of any economic slowdowns.
Demand for petroleum products such as Fuels & lubricants in Ethiopia is massively growing at an average rate of 10% over the last five years (since 2004). As of 2009, the overall size of demand for fuels & lubricants amounts 2.5 billion liters and 25 millions liters respectively.Project ownership and structure
11Draft Feasibility Study for Distribution of petroleum, LPG and Lubricants throughout Ethiopia HASS PLC
Proposed Location
The head office of the company will be Addis Ababa with rented building and leased land for the depo. The two filling stations will be located in the two commercial areas: Akaki Kality Area in which the biggest get with high volume of traffic from and to port Djibouti, Awassa, Harere, Awassa and Arbaminch. The second station will be around Addis Ketema, the second biggest get, which serves Gojam, Gonder and Port Sudan. Other outlets will be opened in Adama, Shahemene, Bahirdar, Wolliso, Nekemitte, Dessie, Mekele, Assosa, Debire Markose and Gonder in collaboration with private retailers.
A. Past Demand
According to MOT report due to the increasing price of petroleum, most vehicles currently are Naphta and those vehicle which are using Benze are converted in to Naphta
Inspected and Registered Vehicles by License and Plate Type
Type of License 1999/00 2000/012001/0
22002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06
2006/07
2007/082008/
09
1. Government 16,081
16,611
17,278
17,070
17,424
20,013
21,581
27,365
27,210
31,200
2. Mass organization
239
256
294
261
780
1,657
2,271
2,880
3,852
4,417
3. UN 1,015
1,001
954
1,056
1,045
1,202
1,221
1,548
1,386
1,589
4. C.D 819
815
921
1,060
672
1,050
1,099
1,394
1,318
1,511
5. Aid Organization
3,794
4,280
4,219
4,052
4,393
4,384
4,828
6,122
6,292
7,216
6. OAU 134
132
157
217
192
225
250
317
330
379
7. Commercial 30,851
33,311
34,995
34,931
36,703
50,046
58,120
73,697
81,761
93,752
8. Taxi 10,156
10,632
12,010
12,506
12,395
14,523
20,062
25,439
34,282
39,310
9. Private Commercial
9,859
10,661
11,531
8,245
13,508
14,988
17,263
21,890
24,014
27,536
10. Private cars 42,258
43,858
47,905
53,540
58,696
58,221
65,930
83,600
89,555
102,69
0
Total 115,206
121,557
130,26
4
132,938
145,808
166,309
192,625
244,25
2
270,000
309,60
0
12Draft Feasibility Study for Distribution of petroleum, LPG and Lubricants throughout Ethiopia HASS PLC
Sources: Ministry of transport
Most oil products are consumed in the transportation sector, which accounts for at least two-thirds of the country’s total petroleum product consumption. The sectoral breakdown is approximately as follows: Transport 69% , Industry 10% ,Households 21% .
B. Forecasted Demand
According to Transport ministry, the growth of vehicles is 7% and 9.4% for Minibus and Bus’s respectively. Based on the above data the forecasted number of the vehicles in the country for the coming 10 years is as follows:
13Draft Feasibility Study for Distribution of petroleum, LPG and Lubricants throughout Ethiopia HASS PLC
3.2 Supply & Distribution
Ethiopia’s current refined petroleum products are delivered at the port of Djibouti and Port Sudan and trucked more than 600 KM and more than 1,500KM respectively inland by many tanker trucks that use the road in each direction.
Petroleum Consumption : Transport SectorQuantity in
MT
Year
Petroleum Products Consumed in Transport Sector By Quantity
Total Amount of Petroleum Products
Consumed in
Transport Sector
Road Transport (Motor Vehicle)
Sub-Total
Aviation
MGR (Motor
Gasoline Regular)
Gasoil Jet/Kerosene
1997/98 122,995
557,640
680,635 252,302
932,937
1998/99 135,469
542,936
678,406 238,836
917,241
1999/00 142,526
548,787
691,313 224,177
915,490
2000/01 129,964
610,835
740,799 225,431
966,230
2001/02 133,111
623,197
756,308 259,786
1,016,095
2002/03 148,555
679,281
827,837 259,630
1,087,467
2003/04 130,415
688,527
818,943 294,699
1,113,642
2004/05 146,094
773,256
919,350 334,638
1,253,988
2005/06 137,193
811,689
948,882 370,401
1,319,283
2006/07 143,743
905,478
1,049,221 402,311
1,451,532
2007/08 139,093
1,073,148
1,212,241 482,173
1,694,414
2008/09 150,099
1,203,567
1,353,666 506,497
1,860,163
2009/10 155,806
1,237,922
1,393,728 529,857
1,923,584
2010/11 141,397
1,213,751
1,355,149 558,462
1,913,610
14Draft Feasibility Study for Distribution of petroleum, LPG and Lubricants throughout Ethiopia HASS PLC
Source: Ethiopian Petroleum Enterprise (EPE)
Total Amounts of petroleum imported and consumedIn Metric Tone (MT)
Year Petroleum Products By Quantity TotalLPG
(LiquifiedPetroleum
Gas)
MGR (Motor
Gasoline Regular)
Jet/Kerosene Gasoil LFO (Light
Fuel Oil)
HFO (Heavy
Fuel Oil)
1997/984,401
122,995
252,302
557,640
107,576
- 1,044,914
1998/99 1,304
135,469
238,836 542,936
96,025
- 1,014,571
1999/00 1,283
142,526
224,177 548,787
61,566
54,954
1,033,293
2000/01 - 129,964
225,431 610,835
49,149
61,973
1,077,352
2001/02 - 133,111
259,786 623,197
40,688
80,894
1,137,677
2002/03 - 148,555
259,630 679,281
41,865
93,804
1,223,136
2003/04 - 130,415
294,699 688,527
40,770
90,078
1,244,489
2004/05 - 146,094
334,638 773,256
43,185
110,048
1,407,221
2005/06 - 137,193
370,401 811,689
41,521
117,198
1,478,002
2006/07 - 143,743
402,311 905,478
42,255
116,429
1,610,216
2007/08 - 139,093
482,173 1,073,148
49,692
138,059
1,882,164
2008/09 - 150,099
506,497 1,203,567
36,421
116,506
2,013,089
2009/10 - 155,806
529,857 1,237,922
10,714
100,967
2,035,265
2010/11 - 141,397
558,462 1,213,751
37,613
99,563
2,050,787
Source: Ethiopian Petroleum Enterprise (EPE)
From the total 2,050,787 , 1,913,610 MTR is consumed by transport sector and the remaining by industries and others.
(Naphta) and Kerosene ,Aviation fuels (Avgas and Jet A-1) 2. Lubricants, Bitumen and greases.
15Draft Feasibility Study for Distribution of petroleum, LPG and Lubricants throughout Ethiopia HASS PLC
3. In addition to the provision of Fuels, Lubricants and other specialized products like Modern Car wash, Lub change, Supermarket, Cafes and Restaurant Services will be added by leasing out our premises to companies that offer these services.
Although the company planned to distribute the above product in the first few years of the project, at the expansion stage other related activities like distribution of tier, petrochemicals for paint and detergent will be added.
3.4 Target customers
Commercial and private transport
Construction companies
Power Generation
Agricultural companies
Manufacturing :Cement, Metal/Steel, Pulp and Paper, Sugar
Mining
3.5 Competitors AnalysisFuels are generally homogeneous products from the same source, transported the same way and are generally sold in a similar manner. The market for fuels is therefore very competitive since product differentiation is closely tied to the marketer's corporate reputation. Therefore our company will identified ourselves as the fuels supplier of choice through our innovative approach to marketing and competitive pricing.
Currently, there are very few Oil Companies operating in Ethiopia. The current players are TOTAL, National Oil Company (NOC), Oilibya, Yetebaberut Beherawi Petroleum S.C(YBP), Kobil Ethiopia, Nile Petroleum, Wadi Al Sundus (WAS) Petroleum Ethiopia, and TAF. As compared to neighboring countries, Ethiopia has fewer numbers of Oil Companies with less competition. A case in point is Uganda and Kenya where over 50 independent companies are engaged in the distribution of petroleum products with aggressive competition in the industry. Despite persistent and increasing growth in the demand for petroleum products, the network expansion (the number of outlets being built) and supply by existing Oil Companies is not adequate. Recent trends in the exit of multinational Oil Companies is further weakening the strength of the Oil Industry to service the growing demand of the nation for petroleum products. In view of the current trends in economic growth and government’s plan to invest millions of dollars
16Draft Feasibility Study for Distribution of petroleum, LPG and Lubricants throughout Ethiopia HASS PLC
in infrastructure, hydropower projects, mining and others sectors, the current gaps between demand and supply in the petroleum sector is wide.Company Address No of
stationsProducts
TOTAL +251 011 465 11 25 Petroleum, LPG, lubricants
NOC Petroleum, LPG, lubricants
Oilibya 180 Petroleum, lubricants
YBP 251-11-4400965/67 Petroleum, lubricants
Kobil Ethiopia +251 11 4674500 / 5 /6
Petroleum, LPG, lubricants
Nile Petroleum Petroleum, LPG, lubricants
WAS Petroleum, lubricants
TAF Petroleum, lubricants
Dalol 251 114 163838 / 165757
Petroleum, lubricants
Ghion Gas Plc 251-011-2793360 251-011-2794771
One filing station and
220 distributers
Gas only
17Draft Feasibility Study for Distribution of petroleum, LPG and Lubricants throughout Ethiopia HASS PLC
18Draft Feasibility Study for Distribution of petroleum, LPG and Lubricants throughout Ethiopia HASS PLC
As you can see form the above table, the LPG distribution is pretty low compared to the demand and consumption of other fuel sources like dung, fuel wood and the like.
Why have major International Oil Companies such as SHELL, MOBIL & AGIP have left the Ethiopian Market?
There are two basic reasons why these multinational companies are leaving not only the Ethiopian market in Particular but also the African market. First reason is Safety. The stringent operational safety requirements such companies have has made their continual operation in the Africa market very difficult due to increased number of fatalities due to high degree of exposure and unsafe road conditions.
Second reason is “Shift in strategy” Most of the multi-national Oil Companies are engaged in both up-stream and down-stream business. When such companies compare exportation & production with the distribution business, the income from up-stream taker the lion’s share. Hence they have embarked on a strategy which they call “focus on upstream, profitable down-stream” As a result, they are divesting their resources from their down-stream business in Africa and expanding their investment into more profitable and emerging markets such as China, India, Indonesia etc.
3.6 Marketing
The company will offer retail customers the most convenient ways to fuel through our Service Stations. In addition to cash payments for fuel and other non-fuel purchases, we have innovated various fuel management systems to make fueling at our outlets an enjoyable experience. For the example, we will have special Fuel card and coupon in addition to VISA card. The fuel cards are available to our customers on Pre-paid and Post-paid terms and most of them are enabled for both fuel and non-fuel purchases at our Service Stations. In addition to the comfort associated with the use of our fuel cards as a mode of payment, we will offer irresistible discounts for Card holders. Our excellent customer service, irresistible product offers, competitive pricing and eye catching branding will make us the marketer of choice in all our markets.
19Draft Feasibility Study for Distribution of petroleum, LPG and Lubricants throughout Ethiopia HASS PLC
4. Regulations, Licenses and incentives (Legal analysis)
4.1 Regulatory Requirements
The legal status of business tends to play an important role in any setup; the proposed petroleum, LPG and lubricant Marketing and Distribution business. The company is assumed to operate on as a private limited company as it is mandatory for an oil or gas company to register as a private limited company.
4.2 License
Any company willing to distribute and market Oil and Gas needs to obtain a license from OGRA(Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority). Additionally, license from Explosivedepartment is also required for the proposed LPG marketing and distribution business. OGRA (Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority) issues provisional licenses to technically and financially sound applicants/ parties for construction of works commensurate with their work program, for a period of one year. OGRA inducts reputable third party inspectors to check/monitor compliance with the terms and conditions of licenses. The licenses can be cancelled in case of non-compliance with licensing terms and conditions.
Pre-Qualification for License
Following requirements are required to be fulfilled for obtaining a license:
Pay Order / Bank Draft /- in favor of Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority, as License fee
Minimum capital requirements:
o 100,000USD for foreign investors
o 600, 000USD if in joint venture with local investors
Proof of registration of the Company (Company incorporation certificate). Memorandum and Articles of Association. Location of the tentative / proposed site. Financial Competence Certificate issued by a Bank (original and stamped). Minimum Work Program: Number of storage tanks and capacity of storage tanks. Bottling facility capacity. Quantity of LPG to be distributed per day or per month. Identification of areas where distribution& / marketing of LPG is planned.
After companies meet the pre-qualification criteria’s the following criteria’s should be fulfilled:
20Draft Feasibility Study for Distribution of petroleum, LPG and Lubricants throughout Ethiopia HASS PLC
Professional competency papers from ministry of trade & investment. Licensing & regulation kit from the investment office shall be filled Through principal registration the minimum legal competency requirement
to be fulfilled are: o 5000m3 tankero Minimum 6 stations of which two must be ready for functioning
and the rest will function within 5 years.o Local investors shall be willing to work in joint venture with
Foreign Investors if need arises. However to distribute LPG, establishment of stations is not necessary. With regard to lubricants, companies cannot distribute lubricants alone; it should be along with petroleum in which Pre-Qualification & Qualification requirements should be fulfilled.
5. Environmental Analysis
a. Location of the project
The company will have its head office in Addis Ababa. The company will also construct its mini depot in the outskirt of Addis Ababa during its first five years of operation. The company will have carefully identified strategic cities, towns and locations at which its service stations are going to be build. As a strategy, we will focus to optimally invest in trade areas with significant traffic flow and locations, which are convenient and accessible for motorists. In addition to the traditional channel of providing service solely through service stations, the company will also introduce its unique channel to provide service by getting much closer to end users.
b. Environmental analysis
The assessment of possible impacts on the environment prior to the approval of a project provides an effective means of harmonizing and integrating environmental, economic, cultural and social considerations into a decision making process in a manner that promotes sustainable development. The Environmental Assessment Regulations, LI 299/2002, was proclaimed in 2002 to give complete legal status to the Ethiopian Environmental Impact Assessment procedures. The Regulations require that all
21Draft Feasibility Study for Distribution of petroleum, LPG and Lubricants throughout Ethiopia HASS PLC
development activities likely to impact adversely on the environment must be subject to Environmental Assessment. The objective of the LI is to ensure that such development activities are carried out in an environmentally sound and sustainable manner.Ecologically sound development of the region is possible when energy needs are integrated with environmental concerns at local and global levels, for which an integrated planning framework would be necessary.
The implementations of the project will respect environmental rights and objectives enshrined in the Constitution by predicting and managing the likely adverse environmental impacts, and will maximize the socio-economic benefits.
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6. Financial Analysis
6.1 Initial Project Costs (‘000) in Birr
Type No Specification Unit Cost
Total cost
Pick Up 2 Toyota Hailux
1000 2,000
Fuel cargo 1 Turbo 2500 2,500 Automobile 2 Toyota
Hailux600 1,200
Cobra Vehicle 2 Toyota V6 1500 3,000 Depo – Petroleum 1 40,000 Depo - LPG 1 10,000Outlet 2 with 6 gate 5000 10,000 Outlet Machine 12 600 7,200 Office Furniture's 400 computers 250 working Capital 4,000 Others(contingency) 4,050
Total 84,600
22Draft Feasibility Study for Distribution of petroleum, LPG and Lubricants throughout Ethiopia HASS PLC
6.2 Expansion Project Costs (‘000) in Birr
Type No Specification Unit Cost
Total cost
Pick Up 10 Toyota Hailux
1,000 10,000
Fuel cargo 3 Turbo 2,500 7,500 Automobile 6 Toyota
Hailux 600 3,600
Toyota Land closure 8 Toyota V6 1,500 12,000 Depo 1 50,000 Outlet 50 with 6 gate 1,000 5,000 Outlet Machine 50 300 15,000 Office Furniture's 1,400 Computers 1,250 Working Capital 7,000 Others(contingency) 4,050
Total 161,800
6.3 Price of Fuel
A government committee also revises the retail prices of petroleum products every three months. Lubricants and greases, however, are being directly imported by the Oil Companies with the intervention of government in setting prices on a quarterly basis. The margin set by the Ethiopian government on lubricants and greases is attractive as compared to the slim margin on fuel. In the year 2008, the overall consumption of fuels in Ethiopia was over 2 billion liters. By the same year, nationwide Lubricants and greases consumption was over 25 million liters. The consumption of both fuels and lubricants is consistently increasing by 10% on a year on year basis and the trend in growth is expected to continue in a similar pattern over the next years. Increased economic activity coupled with increased government spending in the areas of infrastructure, power, mining and other sectors continues to further expand the demand for petroleum products. For long, few multinational oil companies with little competition to satisfy the increasing demand had controlled the petroleum industry.
23Draft Feasibility Study for Distribution of petroleum, LPG and Lubricants throughout Ethiopia HASS PLC
The current distributors margin and retailers margin is as follows:
As you we can see from the above table, Jet fuel is the cost profitable business. The price and the profit margin for lubricants and other oils are put on range with high profit margin.
Risk on investment for Petroleum investment
The nature of investment on petroleum business is such that once the network of service stations are build, the amount of capital investment on fixed assets will be minimal whilst a significant proportion of investors’ capital will be circulating on stock of petroleum products. Stock and inventory being the next liquid form of asset next to cash, being engaged in the sectors provides investors with flexibility to diversify business. In addition, Oil Companies are also enjoying a 15 days credit on supply of fuels from Ethiopia Petroleum Enterprise (EPE), an incentive the Ethiopian government has provided to facilitate a smooth distribution of the products across the country. From control point of view, the petroleum business is a safe business for investors as costing and pricing mechanisms are highly transparent and automated.
24Draft Feasibility Study for Distribution of petroleum, LPG and Lubricants throughout Ethiopia HASS PLC