ABOUT US
History:
Owned by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, Trinidad & Tobago National Petroleum Marketing Company Limited (NP) (formerly BP Caribbean Ltd.) was incorporated in 1972. In 1973, the Government purchased the inland marketing assets of ESSO Standard Oil, vesting it in NP.
In 1976, NP became the sole distributor of petroleum fuels in T&T, the state having acquired the marketing assets of Trinidad and Tobago Oil Company (formerly Shell Trinidad Ltd) and the following year the local marketing assets of Texaco Trinidad Ltd. When NP acquired the assets of Shell Trinidad Ltd, it inherited its Lubricant Blending Plant at Sea Lots, on the outskirts of Port-of-Spain. Under license, NP continued to produce a range of lubricants blended according to the Shell formulations until the National Petroleum Brand of lubricants was launched in 1981 and the lubricant blending plant began producing NP’s Lubricants.
NP’s mandate is to provide for the storage, marketing, sale and distribution of petroleum products throughout our twin island republic ensuring a safe and reliable supply to all citizens.
Organisational Profile:
Trinidad & Tobago National Petroleum Marketing Company Limited (NP) is the most diversified petroleum marketing company in the English-speaking Caribbean. The hub of NP’s activities takes place at its 22-acre bulk storage facility and Head Office located at the Sea Lots Complex in Port of Spain, with additional Gantry filling facilities at Pointe-a-Pierre and Tobago. Branch offices are also located in Tobago, San Fernando, Piarco and Dominica.
NP also has six subsidiaries as follows:
- • Natpet Investments Company Limited – operates the company’s LPG Filling Plant and is responsible for keeping the marketplace adequately supplied with LPG. The LPG Filling Plant is located on the parent company’s facilities at Sea Lots, Port-of-Spain.
- • Natpetrol (Saint Maarten) N.V. – a company incorporated under the laws of Saint Martin, which was set up for the purpose of importation, exportation, purchase, sale, supply and trade of petroleum, petrochemical and chemical products but which is not operational at present.
- • Natpet (Saint Maarten) N.V. – a company incorporated under the laws of Saint Martin, which was set up for the purpose of sale, purchase, rental and leasing of immovable property and investment in securities, but which is not operational at present.
- • National Agro Chemicals Limited (currently being liquidated) – was set up to supply a wide range of fertilisers, agro chemicals and pesticides to a number of agricultural customers and farmers throughout the country, and sell a range of industrial chemicals – Xylene, Toluene, and White Spirits to industrial users and oil companies. NACL owned and operated, at Point Lisas, one of the few fertiliser blending plants in the Caribbean. This Company, however, is currently in the process of being liquidated.
- • Liquid Fuels Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited – was set up as the business entity to operate the facilities created from the completed Liquid Fuels Pipeline and Ancillary Facilities project (located in Caroni) and will distribute Liquid Fuels on behalf of Paria Fuel Trading Company Limited to their fuel wholesale customers. All aviation fuels for Piarco airport are currently fuelled from LFCTT pipelines which run directly from Caroni to the airport.
- • Natpet Corporation Inc. – a company incorporated under the laws of Guyana, which was set up for the purposes of expanding NP’s lubricants and grease business as well as expanding its business activities into other areas such as marine bunkering and other energy-related opportunities. The Company is not yet operational.
Marketing Activities:
Retail & Industrial Fuels
The sale of automotive and aviation fuels are the largest contributors to NP’s sales volumes. NP’s service stations account for seventy-five per cent (75%) of the motor fuels sold locally and one hundred per cent (100%) of the aviation fuels sold at Piarco airport. The fuels bought from Paria Fuels Trading Company are brought to NP’s main storage terminals at Sea Lots and Crown Point, Tobago by ocean tankers. Deliveries of fuel to service stations and to industrial customers are made via a fleet of road tank wagons (RTWs) operating from NP’s Sea Lots and Crown Point terminals, or directly from the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery location.
NP’s operating fleet accounts for approximately fifty per cent (50%) or more of the deliveries to its service station network and is supported by contract transport which accommodates the rest. The Company’s service station network consists of one hundred and seventeen (117) active service stations which serve not only the urban areas but rural communities across Trinidad and Tobago such as Cedros, Moruga, Toco and Mayaro, ensuring that these communities have access to essential petroleum products. These community sites, although small with low volumes being sold, are supported and subsidized by NP to ensure NP provides a National service throughout Trinidad and Tobago.
In supporting the national fuel supply, NP also identifies new sites in areas deemed necessary such as the new flagship site in Preysal, Couva. NP fully finances the construction of these new sites as well as the upgrade to its station network without subventions from the Government. Upgrades which include underground tanks, canopy and dispensers can range from approximately $5M to $8M per site. New sites range from $12M to $14M.
It is important to note that NP is also the sole fuel supplier to Tobago and subsidizes the full cost to undertake the water transportation and distribution of liquid fuels and LPG to Tobago. NP also supplies exploration and production companies, the ferries which operate between Trinidad and Tobago as well as key Government agencies such as PTSC, TTEC, WASA, hospitals, Defence Force, Coast Guard, National Helicopters
Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)
NP is the Sole State Agent responsible for the sale and distribution of LPG in Trinidad & Tobago. As the wholesaler, NP is responsible for the following:
- • Bulk Purchase of LPG
- • Bulk Sale of LPG to two Filling Plants in Trinidad and one filling plant in Tobago
- • Supply of 20lb and 100lb steel cylinders to meet market requirements
- • Monitoring of filling plants to ensure cylinders which are issued are within test date and fit for use
- • Cylinder Maintenance
- • Educating all handlers and users of LPG on the safe method of handling cylinders
LPG is distributed to households across Trinidad & Tobago via a network of thirteen (13) Distributors two of whom operate in Tobago.
Aviation & Marine
Marine bunkering and Aviation re-fuelling are delivered at NP’s facilities in Trinidad and Tobago as well as Dominica. NP bunkers, ex-wharf and ex-vessels are available at all authorised Ports in Trinidad and Tobago namely:
- • Chaguaramas
- • Galeota Point
- • Point Lisas
- • Pointe-a-Pierre
- • Port of Spain
- • San Fernando
- • Scarborough, Tobago
NP is regarded as a reputable supplier of quality aviation fuel in the Caribbean and has been servicing the needs of the Aviation Industry in Trinidad and Tobago for over thirty-nine (39) years. NP provides a safe, stable, and efficient supply of Jet A-1 and Aviation Gasoline (Avgas) to its customers at competitive prices, as well as provides into-plane deliveries for customers of Rubis West Indies Ltd. Fuelling is provided via the use of four hydrant dispensers for Jet and a refueller for Avgas.
Lubricants & Greases
NP holds approximately thirty per cent (30%) of the lubricants market share locally within a highly competitive marketplace. Lubricants and greases are sold via a distributor network of nine (9) distributors locally and thirteen (13) regionally, responsible for ensuring the products reach the end customer. This distributor network is supported by a team of NP Sales Representatives who support the company and the distributors in ensuring lubricant customers are satisfied.
NP’s lubricants and greases can be found in territories such as Anguilla, Antigua, Barbados, Guyana, Montserrat, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent, Jamaica, St. Maarten, Suriname, Tortola and Grenada.
In total, NP’s annual fuel sales is 1.1B litres.
Quality Assurance
The NP range of Ultra Lubricants products adheres to the strict quality standards stipulated by the American Petroleum Institute (API), the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM). By adhering to these standards, NP ensures that its products rank in performance with any established international brand.
NP also holds Quality Management certification for ISO 9001:2015 for the bulk handling, storage, distribution and sales of gasoline and aviation fuels; the blending, sale and distribution of lubricants for automotive, marine and industrial purposes; the provision of aircraft fuelling services at Piarco and ANR Robinson Airports and the bulk handling and Storage of LPG.
Laboratory Technology
NP’s operations are conducted in accordance with international laboratory accreditation requirements. NP is registered with the Chevron-Texaco General Test Survey Programme and its laboratory is also linked to the Institute of Petroleum, London. The Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards calibrates the measuring and test equipment used in NP’s laboratory. NP’s modern quality control laboratory carries out all required tests on fuels prior to distribution to the service stations, airports and on all lubricants prior to blending and bottling for sale. The laboratory is also capable of carrying out state-of-the-art testing for our industrial customers such as used oil analyses as well as other tests required for industrial lubricants.
NP’s importance as an entity cannot be understated. NP contributes to the country’s social landscape, supporting initiatives that maximise positive benefits for communities and society in areas such as education, culture, innovation and entrepreneurship. Additionally, it contributes to the national, economic and environmental landscape of Trinidad and Tobago and has become a household name over the last 50 years.
