Our gas is not contaminated – Rubis
Published:Tuesday | January 5, 2016 | 2:44 PM
Rubis Energy Jamaica Limited, which manages a network of more than 50 service stations across Jamaica, said its petrol storage facility is not contaminated and that it has not received any report from the Bureau of Standards of Jamaica (BSJ) in that regard.
"RUBiS' petrol-storage facility is not contaminated," declared Alain Carreau, RUBiS chief executive officer, in response to a report on Monday suggesting that it was among those selling contaminated gasoline to an unsuspecting public.
Minister of Technology, Energy and Mining Phillip Paulwell last week established a committee to examine the petroleum industry, with a view to making recommendations for tightening regulations, following tests carried out across the island which revealed that contaminated gasoline was being sold to motorists.
In a statement, Carreau explained that fuel in the RUBiS storage facility is sourced from Petroleum Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (PetroTrin), and that the imported product endures rigorous internal and external testing at multiple levels.
PetroTrin provides a certificate of quality for the fuel supplied, which undergoes further tests by Jamaica's oil refinery, PetroJam, as well as RUBiS, confirming that the fuel meets, or exceeds, local standards.
Locally, RUBiS also sources fuel from PetroJam, which is transported directly to RUBiS service stations, the company said.
Noting that the subject of "unwashed gum" has been raised recently, the company said there is no specification under Jamaican law for "unwashed gum" levels in gasolene-ethanol blends with additives, leading marketing companies, including RUBiS, to add their own additives to enhance the performance of the product.
"As there is no local specification for 'unwashed gum' we comply with international standards," Carreau said. "To put it simply, our products meet and, in many cases, exceed, all local standards and regulations where they exist," he added.
The statement said the BSJ recently carried out tests at more than 30 retail gas stations across the island, and several stations supplied by various marketing companies returned similar test results.
The BSJ began conducting tests following complaints by motorists that vehicles were affected by tainted petrol, and Paulwell subsequently announced that more than 80 per cent of the stations tested were found to be selling contaminated fuel.
"In fact, the vast majority of the stations with similar test results are not supplied by RUBiS," Carreau explained.
"Our loyal customers have been very supportive as they, like us, are confident in the quality of our products," he added.