Seypec’s 35th anniversary |02 April 2020

Fuelling Seychelles and beyond since 1985

The Seychelles Petroleum Company Limited (Seypec) was incorporated in April 1985 following the closure of the then Shell Oil Company.

Seypec was founded with one sole mandate – fulfilling the country’s energy requirements through the supply of fuel. It was a bold act of national commitment for a small developing island state like Seychelles to control this crucial sector of the economy.

Seypec is a government owned parastatal run entirely by a workforce of approximately two hundred Seychellois nationals. The company’s operations revolve around the supplying of fuel to the domestic market, bunkering of vessels, aviation refuelling activities and the management of its shipping arm.

Over the past three decades, Seypec has grown to become an important strategic entity behind the country’s economy and has been steadfast in its mandate to supply the islands’ fuel in an efficient and cost effective manner.

Vision

Seypec’s vision is to become the leading oil company in the Western Indian Ocean, making Seychelles a regional and strategic hub for petroleum-related activities.

Mission

To ensure the security of supply of petroleum for Seychelles’ energy needs. In doing so, it shall provide its customers with fast, responsible and reliable services and products. Seypec will engage directly or indirectly in all petroleum-related activities that will add value to its business.

Activities

Seypec’s primary activities revolve around the importation and distribution of petroleum-based products. From providing fuel to vehicles at the pump to the chartering of tankers worldwide, Seypec has diversified its portfolio to cover a wide range of services.

Its mandate to secure energy needs for the domestic market is of the highest priority. Seypec retails fuel LPG and lubricants through its service stations, distribution centre, and various retail outlets located around the islands. Bulk fuel solutions are also available for industrial customers with larger demands.

Shipping arm

Seypec owns six high quality, German built oil product and IMO 3 and IMO 2 double-hull tankers trading worldwide, and a smaller oil product and LPG tanker trading regionally in the Indian Ocean.

The tankers are named: MT Seychelles Pride, MT Seychelles Pioneer, MT Seychelles Progress, MT Seychelles Prelude, MT Seychelles Patriot and MT Seychelles Paradise.

The management of the tanker fleet is handled by German Tanker Shipping (GTS).

The foreign trading fleet are employed primarily on the oil trading spot and time charter market, chartered mostly to high quality oil and oil trading companies. The smaller tanker, built for bunker and short sea shipping purposes, offers anchorage and offshore bunkering services within the Indian Ocean and is critical for the supply of petroleum to the Praslin island depot.

Seychellois masters, officers and crew members are directly employed and the other international seafarers are hired via OSM Ship Management, headquartered in Oslo, Norway.

The company maintains a policy of active participation and funding in the development of Seychelles seafarers. Cadets, ratings and officers are placed in various high quality marine colleges around the world, including the National Maritime College of Ireland (Cork, Ireland), The University of Tasmania (Tasmania, Australia), the South Tyneside College (South Shields, UK), International Nautical and Engineering College (Cinec) and the Seychelles Maritime Academy (SMA) in Victoria.

Aviation refuelling

Seypec is the exclusive refuelling supplier at the Seychelles International Airport. A cross-trained fuelling team operating around the clock ensures efficient and timely services, functioning through set international procedures and controls, while rigid maintenance programmes are undertaken and fuel quality checks are carried out on a daily basis.

The Seypec airport depot is linked to the main Victoria depot through an 8km pipeline which allows for Jet A1 to be transferred safely, efficiently and cost-effectively. The airport terminal is backed by a storage facility for Jet A1 of up to 4,300 MT. Aviation lubricants and AVGAS 100LL are also available upon request.

Three hydrant servicers, two refuellers and one combined hydrant and refueller truck support all refuelling activities taking place at the airport.

The specification of the Jet A1 provided at the Seychelles international Airport is in line with Aviation Fuel Quality Requirements for Jointly Operated Systems (AFQRJOS Fuelling).

Bunkering

Backed up by an expanding petroleum terminal, Seypec offers a range of bunkering and de-bunkering facilities in Port Victoria, offering quality bunker fuels at highly competitive regional prices.

Seypec’s bunkering service is available at all ports in the harbour with various grades of bunker fuel inclusive of gasoil and fuel oil on offer. The commercial port, which is the quay were tankers discharge and load their products, is located some 170 metres from the depot, hence provides easy access and better control of the products that are being supplied. Dedicated product pipelines connect the depot to three ports providing a total of 21 bunkering points.

The MT Seychelles Paradise tanker supports regional and inner harbour bunkering with a capacity of 1,699 cubic metres, and can be chartered for offshore barge deliveries throughout the Indian Ocean, as well as for vessels at anchorage at Port Victoria, Seychelles. This service is available for gasoil and motor gasoline.

Pipelines connect the Seypec storage depot to the commercial port, fishing port, Ile Du Port Handling Services quay and the net repairs quay. During all bunkering operations, a 15m radius is cordoned off to demarcate the bunkering zone.

Seypec’s bunkering procedures are undertaken within strict safety parameters and in line with international industry norms and hence each bunker to be carried out shall be vetted in terms of activities which may affect the safety and security of the bunkering process including but not limited to:

• Barge supply: Seychelles Paradise

Barge supply is available through Seypec’s tanker, MT Seychelles Paradise. The tanker offers anchorage supply at Port Victoria, and also offshore supply throughout the Indian Ocean.

• Road tanker

Road tankers are available for deliveries on both Mahé and Praslin from 4pm to 7pm during weekdays and from 8.30am to 3pm during weekends. Truck capacities are either 10,000 or 20,000 litres.

• Conditions for bunkering

Vessels engaged in bunkering must display the international code of signals flag “Bravo” by day and an all-round red light by night. It is prohibited for any vessel to approach closer than 100 metres to any vessel at anchorage displaying these conditions.

Any vessel at port for bunkering operations are prohibited from discharging ballast within harbour limits, regardless of where the ballast was taken on.

Any vessel engaged in bunkering operations is to be securely moored or anchored. Vessels engaged in bunkering operations at anchor must have engines at immediate notice.

In the event of any pollution incident due to a bunker delivery, all other active bunkering operations will be ceased immediately, and will only recommence with approval of the Harbour Master.

Chevron Lubricants

Seypec’s wide range of Chevron lubricants covers a multitude of applications with high quality oils.

A variety of lubricants are available both from the Seypec headquarters as well as from a host of its service station retail outlets.

Seypec orders a variety of engine lubricants most often used in the automotive industry, but can also be used in applications such as hydraulic equipment, turbines, compressors, large agricultural and construction equipment, electrical generators, pumps, marine engines etc.

Engine lubricants can be used not only for on-road vehicles, such as cars, trucks, motorcycles and buses, but also for off-road vehicles such as lawn mowers, locomotives, airplanes, snowmobiles and boats. Engine lubricants are graded by a numerical code system developed by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) according to their level of viscosity. Viscosity is the fluidity of a substance; low viscosity suggests a lubricant will be very fluid while a high viscosity count means the substance will be thick, like grease.

Inland supply

Seypec supplies petroleum products to the domestic market to a wide range of customers including power generating plants, hotels, the industrial sector and the service stations across the islands.

Deliveries to the inland market are carried out through road tankers and LPG bulk trucks. Bulk fuel road tankers are available in capacities of 10,000 litres or 20,000 litres, dependent upon the location of the entity. A 5 MT LPG bulk truck is used to supply all the bulk LPG requirements around the island of Mahé.

Deliveries are carried out on weekdays from 8am to 4pm.

Delivery methods include either direct supply through a nozzle or a 2.5 inch coupling-connection on the manifold, through a delivery hose of up to 15 metres. The road tankers can also supply at all marine ports as mentioned previously and also at the Inter Island Quay which has a maximum draught 5 metres.

Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)

Seypec is the sole supplier of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in Seychelles and is responsible for the product’s significant growth throughout the domestic market. LPG is stored and supplied through LPG cylinders as well as bulk storage tanks. The product is delivered through specialised LPG road tankers to the customers’ site.

LPG cylinders are routinely tested to meet the Seychelles Standards requirements (SS11 Standard for Testing of Gas Cylinders)

Composite cylinders: Sizes of 5kg, 10kg and 20kg

Steel cylinders: Sizes of 9kg, 12kg and 24kg

LPG bulk tanks: Sizes of 500kg, 1 ton and 2 tons

• LPG is commonly used for cooking and lighting. It is a clean burning gas that is non-poisonous, dependable and is a high performance fuel that can be stored and transported in containers as a liquid, however it is generally drawn out and used as gas.
• LPG occurs naturally in crude oil and natural gas production fields, and is also produced during the oil refining process. It is a mixture of light gaseous hydrocarbons (e.g. propane, butane) which are gaseous at normal ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure, but made liquid by application of moderate pressure. LPG is naturally clean and environmentally friendly. It is non-toxic and burns cleanly compared to the other forms of fuels.

• LPG exists as a gas under normal conditions, and only exist in liquid form at very low temperatures or under high pressures. Therefore, if kept at normal temperatures and pressures, LPG will evaporate, so normally, it is supplied in pressurised cylinders or tanks. When the gas supply valve is switched on the liquid turns into vapour.
• LPG is heavier than air, so beware of leaks. When LPG leaks from its cylinder, LPG vapour will flow and accumulate at the ground level. Therefore, leaks are dangerous as LPG can burn when it comes in contact with any source of ignition. Always keep windows open and ventilate the room where the LPG cylinder is placed.
• LPG is odourless and colourless, normally LPG is given a distinctive smell by adding a special stenching agent in concentrations that will ensure it can be detected even if the leakage is well below the level of flammability.

Service stations

Ten service stations are spread across the islands of Mahé, Praslin and La Digue, offering a reliable fuelling point and a host of additional services.

Seypec has seven service stations spread across the main island of Mahé – Beau Vallon, Anse Royale, Quatre Bornes, Airport (Pointe Larue), Victoria North at Perseverance, Victoria South at Roche Caïman and Grand Anse Mahé. There are two on the island of Praslin – Baie Ste Anne and Grand Anse – and one on La Digue.

These service stations offer a host of products such as: unleaded motor gasoline, gasoil 50 ppm (Diesel), Chevron lubricants, LPG cylinders (steel and composite).

Storage depot

Seypec’s operations are based at three depots, namely the Victoria depot, Airport depot and Praslin depot. All depots are built to standards and are equipped with the latest firefighting protective installation technology.

Located at the New Port in Victoria is Seypec's head office and main storage depot. The main depot comprises 28 tanks holding a capacity of 188,000 cubic metres, which includes Jet A1 and two grades of fuel oil, gasoil and motor gasoline. An LPG storage facility with 12 LPG bullet tanks store 2,200 MT of LPG. The storage is targeted not only for strategic reserves, but also for third parties renting out storage space.

The Praslin depot is located on Eve Island serving the needs of Praslin and La Digue. A total of four storage tanks hold fuel while four smaller bullet tanks hold a maximum of 188m3 (or 90 MT) of LPG. The holding capacity for fuel is approximately 2 months.

The Aviation depot is linked to the Victoria head depot through an 8km pipeline from the Victoria depot to the airport allows for Jet A1 to be transferred safely, efficiently and cost-effectively. The airport terminal is backed by a storage facility for Jet A1 of up to 4,300 MT.

Used oil collection

The latest in Seypec’s line of services available. Through a dedicated pipeline, Seypec offers a convenient used oil disposal solution to vessels berthing at the commercial port.

Source: Seypec website