Government to install oil pipelines in Thai North, Northeast

BANGKOK, February 13 (TNA) - The Thai government, through the Ministry of Energy, plans to build pipelines at a combined distance of 1,000 kilometers from refineries in Rayong province in the Thai East to Khon Kaen province in the Northeast and Phitsanulok province in the Lower Thai North so that retail oil prices on the domestic market will be close to one another nationwide in the future. Energy Minister Pongsak Raktapongpaisal said on Wednesday, at a seminar in Bangkok with energy-related operators, that the project is now estimated at 19 billion baht, with the construction of the oil pipelines set to be completed over the next few years. Pongsak acknowledged that the government is studying whether it should invest in the project alone or form a joint venture with the private sector, and that, after the project is completed, retail oil prices at petrol stations near the pipelines will be the same as those in Bangkok and those at farther stations will even be cheaper by 0.30 baht per liter, compared with present prices. From Rayong, the minister noted, the oil pipelines will pass Kabin Buri and Chachoengsao, where it will split, on one hand, to Nakhon Ratchasima and Khon Kaen in the Thai Northeast and, on the other hand, to Saraburi in the central region and Phitsanulok in the Lower Thai North. According to the energy minister, the Thai government is also considering ending the registration of vehicles fueled with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) because they have often caused explosions in accidents and created chances of smuggling LPG out of the country; while the government has had to spent a lot of money to subsidize the LPG price in the country. The minister revealed that his ministry will then speed up opening more natural gas for vehicles (NGV) stations and impose strict control of safety standards of LPG-fueled vehicles and LPG filling stations, namely sending energy officials and police to check LPG filling stations nationwide to prevent them from storing excessive LPG amounts. (TNA)