KARACHI, Aug 26: The fourth petroleum products marketing company TOTAL-Parco Pakistan Ltd has captured 4.5 per cent market share in the first year of its launch in the retail-outlets sector.

TOTAL-Parco is a joint venture of Pak-Arab Refinery Company (Parco) with TotalFinaElf of France.

According to Parco here on Tuesday, 36 retail outlets, dispensing TOTAL products have been established in the country during the first year.

The company has planned to set up about 500 stations across the country with an investment of $100 million in the next decade.

Similarly, PEARL-Gas of Pak-Arab Refinery Company (Ltd) which was launched two years ago, has secured 15 per cent of the total domestic LPG market in the country.

The company is currently marketing “PEARL Gas” in association with the Dutch company SHV.

With the coming on-stream of Parco’s Mid-Country Refinery operations two years ago, the company has begun marketing of its fuel products and LPG under the brand name of PEARL.

Under a Technical Services and Support Agreement (TSSA), SHV of Holland is marketing 25pc of Parco’s LPG production as “PEARL Gas”.

Parco is also marketing OMV Austria’s lubricants through the brand name of “PEARL Lubes”.

With the commissioning of the mid-country refinery and the consequential availability of petroleum products, it was a natural step for Parco to enter into the marketing arena and present to the consumers’ the new brand of “PEARL”.

Furnace oil and sulphur are also being supplied to industries across the country, as well as “PEARL Lubricants” imported from OMV, Austria.—APP