Total plots further business growth in Malaysia
The Total Group, one of the largest integrated oil and gas companies in the world, with business activities in 130 countries worldwide, is seeking to grow its presence here in Malaysia. Currently, Total’s commercial activities in Malaysia is limited to the sales and distribution of lubricants.
Total’s range of Quartz lubricants are carried in more than 1,000 independent workshops across the country, and further sustaining the brand’s presence is a network of 130 Total-branded Auto Lub Care workshops, which provide full servicing for passenger vehicles using Total Oil products.
Approved by major automotive OEMs such as the PSA Group, Mercedes Benz, BMW, Volkswagen, Hyundai-Kia, and General Motors, Total’s portfolio of lubricants cover a variety of grades and designed for a wide range of applications. The range starts with the 3000, 4000, and 5000 mineral formulations, continuing to the 7000 and 7000 Future semi-synthetic oils. Further up comes the 9000 and 9000 Future fully synthetic oils. Latest in the range are the Ineo ECS and Ineo MC3 oils, which are designed to treat even the exhaust filters of modern engines, namely the catalytic converters and diesel particulate filters.
Antonio Miranda, Managing Director of Total Oil Malaysia, has confirmed his company’s intention to further grow the network of Auto Lub Care workshops in the country.
“We have increased already quite significantly the number of the Auto Lube Care workshops in the last 3 years and have a very strong plan / investment budget to increase the number in 2014, and in the following years. One key success factor is the direct sales and deliver from Total Oil Malaysia – most of our competitors sell to workshops via distributors,” he said.
Beyond the consumer’s eye, Total is actively working behind the scenes exploring oil and gas in Malaysia since 2008 beginning with blocks PM 303 and PM 324 situated off the shores of Peninsula Malaysia. The company currently drills in the PM 324 block and also the SK317B block in Sarawak. A new production sharing contract (PSC) was signed recently in Jan 2014 giving Total permission to drill in deep water block DW 2E also off the shores of Sarawak.
On the possibility of setting up Total fuel stations in Malaysia, Mr Miranda said Total is always open to such opportunities, and the company already operates fuel stations in Pakistan, Cambodia, Philippines, Indonesia, China, and Pacific Islands.
According to Mr Miranda, “Production of oil & gas and fuel sales are not directly linked: the decision to have fuel stations take in consideration other factors – authorisation, investments, and different economical constraints. The success of Total lubricant in Malaysia in the last year few years helps Total to be more and more open to invest in others areas in Malaysia–Total Oil Malaysia is a success story among Total affiliates / JV in Asia Pacific.”
Pictures: Official Total release.
