Caltex’s magazine for employees, franchisees & resellers
Issue 42 Apr – May 08
Keeping Australia moving, the Caltex contribution
Refining Engineering Manager Fran van Reyk plays a pivotal role in ensuring Caltex’s refineries keep operating.
Keeping Australia moving, the Caltex contribution
Most people know that as the nation's biggest oil refiner and marketer Caltex produces and sells petrol, diesel, jet and other fuels in huge quantities.
The crude oil traders, bargaining in millions
7pm. Caltex Crude Trading Manager Geoff Sharpe is on the phone in his Sydney office, talking to an oil trader. "Okay then, it’s agreed," says Geoff. "Six hundred and fifty thousand barrels of Kutubu crude for loading late May."
The refinery, supporting a lifestyle
10am, at Lytton refinery in Brisbane. "Morning Dave," says console operator Ian Keable to his colleague David Wilson in the refinery's brightly lit central control room.
The shutdown, a fine balance
10am on a humid February morning. At Caltex's Kurnell refinery on the southern end of Botany Bay, it's a busy day. Hundreds of people in blue overalls and hard hats swarm like ants over a maze of pipes, platforms, pressure vessels and machinery.
The tax collectors, a $6 billion team
"There’s no such thing as a paperless office" says George Chenouda with a sigh as he surveys the desks of the Caltex tax group.
The terminal, the hub that never sleeps
6am. The roar of turbocharged diesel engines fills the air on the northern fringes of Botany Bay. A procession of tanker trucks is moving into the vast Caltex terminal at Banksmeadow, Sydney.
The power generator, keeping our lights on
8am. Walking into his office at Bayswater Power Station at Muswellbrook, Ray Durie greets his colleague, Fuel Services Administrator Lisa Elliott, and wonders what the day holds in store.
The service station, offering lifestyle choice
3pm. At Kippa-ring north of Brisbane, cars are queuing on the forecourt of the Caltex Woolworths store. A customer in the store approaches the counter.
The truck stop and depot, really big business
8.30pm. Night has fallen over the Caltex truck stop and depot at Goondiwindi, 360 kilometres west of Brisbane. Inside, a driver is sitting down to a dinner of roast beef, vegetables and gravy. He nods greetings...
The workshop, where lubes help keep local customers happy
4pm. The television plays quietly in the reception area of Blackheath Automotive Services west of the Blue Mountains. Two customers relax on leather lounges sipping hot chocolate...
The franchisees, happy unions
In Brisbane... 5pm. The sun's getting low but it's still warm in southeast Queensland. Customers turning into the forecourt of the Caltex site in the inner-east suburb of Carindale pass by well-maintained gardens.
From the Managing Director
As Australia's leading fuels refiner and marketer and number one convenience store operator Caltex makes a big contribution to keeping the country moving.
In this issue of The Star we highlight some of the work done by Caltex people, the variety and complexity of our operations, and the dependence of the Australian lifestyle and economy on a reliable supply of fuels and lubricants.
Government also relies on us for over $6 billion a year in excise and other tax collections.
Oil refining and marketing is a high volume, low margin business and highly competitive. In 2007, Caltex's profit on petrol sales after tax on a replacement cost basis was 1.5 cents a litre. This compares with the Government's excise and GST collection at the bowser of approximately 50 cents a litre. It is hard to see how recent claims of a reduction in the price of petrol of an average of a few cents a litre could occur without the government lowering its take at the bowser.
You can see from these stories here that it takes much skill and commitment across our business to stay strong and successful.
The oil industry is directly exposed to the international economic forces that are having tumultuous ramifications affecting exchange rates, the price of crude oil we purchase to refine into fuels and the petroleum products we import.
Caltex has strength in its diversity as being Australia's largest oil refiner and the country's number one fuels marketer. As we have told our shareholders and the stock market, this strength is proving important as the business prepares to weather a possible softening in refining margins if a recession in the United States causes the demand for global petroleum products to be less than expected.
I hope you enjoy reading about our people and learning more about what we do.
Des King