สงสัยน้ำมันรัสเซียจะมีชื่อเสียงไม่แพ้เพชรรัสเซียซะแล้ว
วารสาร Platts ซึ่งเป็นวารสารด้านพลังงานชื่อดัง ก็รายงานเรื่องนี้โดยบอกว่า
อาจเป็นเรื่องหลอกลวง (could be a hoax) ระบุชื่อ
Syrus Petroleumและชี้ว่าเป็น บริษัทโนเนม (UNKNOWN FIRM) ที่มีทุนจดทะเบียนเพียงแค่
29,832 เหรียญสหรัฐ (คงจะคำนวณมาจากทุนจดทะเบียน 1 ล้านบาทไทย)
ดังนั้นชื่อ "ไซรัสปิโตรเลียม" มีการอ้างอิงในสื่อต่างประเทศไปแล้วครับ 
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Thailand's Russian gasoil deal could be a hoax, say Asian tradersSingapore (Platts)--16Jul2008
Traders across southeast Asia have expressed strong doubts about a high-
profile gasoil and diesel supply deal being touted in Thailand as an almost
magical cure for high oil prices in the country.
Many are questioning how the deal could possibly work -- with several
warning that the government might be falling for an elaborate and potentially
embarrassing hoax.
On Wednesday, Thai Energy Minister Poonpirom Liptapanlop said a Thailand-
based company called Syrus Petroleum Co. Ltd had tied up a deal to import up
to 300,000 mt/month of Russian gasoil at competitive prices which would ease
the country's oil price pain. "The company has directly contacted Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej about
the issue," she said. Despite its immense impact on the world economy, the global oil market is
made up of relatively few suppliers and traders. And sources surveyed by
Platts said they had never heard of Syrus Petroleum.
TRADER A SMALL, UNKNOWN FIRM A check on records in Thailand suggest that Syrus Petroleum is a small
oil firm with a registered capital of only $29,832. Traders said it was highly
unlikely that a company which was previously unheard of might suddenly become
a massive importer.
"Why would the government not use someone closer and better established,
like PTT?" one trader said, referring to Thailand's national oil company. "How
do they [Syrus Petroleum] raise credit, or who gives them a bank line, when
their paid-up capital is so small?" he added.
Industry sources said this week they suspected the deal was a hoax.
"The 300,000 mt of Russian gasoil is nonsense," a Singapore-based trader
said. "It [the report] is apparently being put out by the media to make the
Thai public feel better about prices," he added, suggesting that it could be a
bid to shore up the Thai prime minister's sagging popularity.
A Malaysian trader also raised the possibility that it may be a case of
fraudulent brokers offering cheap Russian gasoil cargoes to Thailand, with
incidents of companies falling prey to such ploys reported in the past.
"I saw one [broker] once who offered me 500,000 tonnes of D2 per month
[ex-Russia], delivered CIF anywhere in the world, at a fixed price valid for
12 months -- utter nonsense. Do you know how big the capital at risk is on
that?" the Singapore-based trader said.
If it is a fraud, it would not be the first time an Asian nation had
fallen hook, line and sinker for an oil hoax in a desperate bid to relieve the
pressure of high oil prices.
In August last year, Sri Lanka's national oil refiner Ceylon Petroleum
Corp. was left high and dry after little-known UK-based commodity trader SGG
LEAD proved unable to come up with the 130 days' worth of cheap crude oil it
had promised to supply from Saudi Arabia. SGG LEAD disappeared and Ceypetco
scrambled to find crude for its refinery, ultimately at market prices.
THAI PRIME MINISTER ANNOUNCED DEAL ON TV News of Thailand's plan to import Russian gasoil emerged during a weekly
television address by Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej over the weekend,
during which he stated the country was in talks to bring in the cheaper fuel.
It was reported that the first shipment of Russian gasoil would arrive in
about 45-60 days' time, and that while the quality would be slightly lower
than Thailand's standard diesel fuel of 350 parts per million sulfur gasoil,
it would be about Baht 8/litre ($0.24/l) cheaper than regular diesel.
Initial reports placed the sulfur content of the Russian gasoil under
review at anywhere between 0.02% and 0.5%, and that it would be sold to the
country's cooperatives, mostly in the transportation and fishing industries.
Any cooperative interested in the cheaper diesel would have to prepare
import documents and submit their requirements to the government, the prime
minister said.
Although Thailand has not yet officially confirmed what grade of Russian
gasoil it is considering, a PTT source alluded to Russian gasoil D2 as the
grade of interest.
Specifications found on the Internet for Russian gasoil D2 generally
state that the sulfur content of the product is 0.2%, although it was also
seen at a minimum of 0.02%.
In a further twist, the trader said Thai refinery sources in the know
had told him that, contrary to media reports, no imports of Russian gasoil
will be taking place.
Sources also expressed surprise that Thailand, a net gasoil exporter,
would be looking to import gasoil, with one trader saying that it did not
"make sense" for Russian cargoes to go there.
The trader cited two main reasons: High freight costs and gasoil
specification incompatibility. Thailand is a 350 ppm market and Russian D2 is
typically a 2000 ppm sulfur gasoil product.
In addition, Bangchak Petroleum President Anusorn Saengnimnuan said this
week that the first shipment of 300,000 mt of diesel from Russia would result
in a potential loss of Baht 9 billion in revenue for local oil refineries as
they would have to trim current refining capacity or export their surplus.
The additional gasoil imports would also shave off around Baht 4 billion
from the revenue of retail oil operators, he said.
It is understood that around three to four medium-range vessel loads of
Russian gasoil are exported monthly from Russia's Far East ports of Nakhodka
and Slavyanka, with most ending up in China before filtering down to Hong
Kong, Vietnam and other South East Asian countries.
In June, Thailand consumed 45.2 million litres of diesel per day.
--Clarice Chiam in Singapore, with Donrudee Chaisombat in Bangkok,
newsdesk@platts.com
