Thailand has four oil refineries, with a combined capacity of 703,100 bbl/d. The three main refineries are Shell Co. Of Thailand Ltd. (275,000 bbl/d) located in in Rayong, Thai Oil Co. Ltd., in Sriracha (192,850 bbl/d), and Esso Standard Thailand Ltd. (173,500 bbl/d), also located in Sriracha.
The Thai government has been discussing a proposal to attempt to turn the country into a regional processing and transportation hub for the oil industry. One possibility would be amending regulations to create a bonded-processing zone for export-oriented refineries. The targeted export market would likely be cities in south-central China , which are closer to Thai ports than to the Pacific coast of China . Another proposal would see the construction of a pipeline across the isthmus of Kra, allowing oil shipments from the Persian Gulf to East Asia to bypass the congested Strait of Malacca , possibly with the addition of an export-oriented 500,000 bbl/d refinery at the pipeline’s Gulf of Thailand terminal. A feasibility study completed by PTT in July 2004, however, cast doubt on the financial viability of the project.
Thailand also plans to reduce its consumption of petroleum and imports of gasoline additive methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) in the future by promoting domestic production and consumption of ethanol. The Thai government approved a package of tax incentives in December 2000 to encourage more production of ethanol for fuel use, and gasoline containing 10% ethanol is scheduled to be introduced in the greater Bangkok area beginning in December 2004.
