Marketing Petroleum Products in the Downstream Sector in Sierra Leone

<h1>Marketing Petroleum Products in the Downstream Sector in Sierra Leone</h1>Author: <a title="Abdul Karim Noah" href="http://www.articlesbase.com/authors/abdul-karim-noah/64695.htm">Abdul Karim Noah</a> ABSTRACT 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	<!-- 		@page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } 		P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } 	-- 
ABSTRACT
 
Currently there is limited literature on the marketing of petroleum products in Sierra Leone with one noticeable study on Petroleum Distribution Margin (Arthur D. Little 1994). This study therefore is an attempt to develop a general literature on the marketing of petroleum products in Sierra Leone. The thrust of the study is to conduct a critical analysis of the petroleum marketing trend in the most recent decade focusing on the key factors of the marketing mix and the associated problems with marketing. In this connection the following issues were investigated: product sourcing distribution channels, pricing formula, methods of promotion etc.
 
The decade under review(1990-2000) witnessed significant transformations in petroleum marketing from strict Government control to a liberalized and deregulated market, from refining of crude oil to importation of refined products with the associated problems of product scarcity and the non-availability of foreign exchange for petroleum product imports.
 
Several other factors may be responsible for these changes and problems hence this study is focused on the elements of the marketing mix product, price place and promotion to analyze the extent to which the basic tools of marketing are utilized. In obtaining the information a descriptive survey research was utilized which involve a questionnaire supported by a structured interview. Analysis of the survey questionnaire revealed the presence of a marketing department in all the major petroleum marketing companies surveyed, highlighting constraints and limitation in the areas of promotion, market research and limited distribution of product/places. There is therefore a lot of room for improvement to be made in the marketing of petroleum products in Sierra Leone.
 
As revealed in the study, improvement by way of market liberalization and deregulation of produce pricing and supply are the right recipe for modern marketing trends. However, the study equally highlighted the need for investment in bulk lorries and retail stations for Sierra Leone to be in line with other developing petroleum markets with automated stations and efficient bulk product delivery systems.
 
 
INTRODUCTION
 
Background to the Study
 
Historically the global petroleum situation has been volatile, mainly because of Geopolitical conflicts in the main oil producing areas of the globe. This volatile situation has continued to impact on petroleum marketing globally and in Sierra Leone in particular.
 
Although a non-petroleum producing country, Sierra Leone however has rich mineral potential and the mining of these minerals on commercial terms together with the expansion of the transport sector indicated a high demand for petroleum products. Among the modern energy source in Sierra Leone, petroleum products are the most reliable as compared to electricity.
 
Currently the transport sector consumes most of the petroleum products, followed by the mining and construction sectors. During the period under review 1990-2000 Petroleum Marketing has undergone a series of important changes that are worth noting. These developments include, first the era of crude oil importation from Nigeria by Government through the parent multinational oil companies represented in the county up to 1993. The crude oil was refined by the government owned refinery and the finished petroleum sold to the major oil marketing company for sale to consumers.
 
The second phase included the era when the refinery was closed in 1993 and the Government resorted to the importation of refined product through a World Bank assisted funding. Like in the case of the refinery era, the Government through the Petroleum Unit sold the products to the petroleum marketing companies (Shell, NP and Mobil) for distribution to consumers.
 
The importation of petroleum product with World Bank assisted funds led to the establishment of a petroleum pricing formula which ushered in the partial deregulation of the petroleum market.
 
The third and final phase during the period under review is the year of market deregulation and liberalization. During this phase marketers imported and distributed petroleum products freely.
 
However, pricing of the product was still based on the agreed pricing formula which contained two variable factors as a trigger mechanism for price change.
 
The Petroleum Pricing formula implemented in 1994 by the government of Sierra Leone in collaboration with the World Bank and the oil marketing companies reflected a product price structure which consisted of a fixed distribution margin and government excise tax. The pricing formula has as its main target, the local stabilization/reflection of international prices of petroleum products vis-à-vis local currency. The Platts and Exchange Rates are therefore the two major variables that influence changes in pump prices of product. The pricing formula is divided into three main parts:- The total Landed Costs of Products in Leones. The Distribution Margin which includes the Marketer’s margin, Dealer’s margin and Transporter’s Margin. The third part comprises Revenue to be derived by Government. The Petroleum Revenue to Government is significant not only in contributing to National Revenue but also in balancing budget deficit.
 
Although the storage of petroleum products is an important aspect of petroleum marketing, the Government has no storage facility for petroleum product after the sale of the Refinery. The three major marketing companies – Shell (Safecon), BP (NP) and Mobil between them have the bulk storage facilities for petroleum products (82.00 M. Tons).
 
This is a very important phenomenon in the handling of petroleum product imported by third parties like Petroleum Unit (Government). It is important because the availability of storage space (ullages) can at times influence both delivery time and quantum of products to be imported. The Petroleum Unit (Government) for example, has no monopoly in the use of the tanks owned by the key marketing companies because the oil marketing companies do import from time to time, and sometimes rent storage space to other third parties.
 
The marketing of petroleum products in Sierra Leone is therefore fraught with many problems. First, product scarcity resulting into long motor queues is a major problem of marketing. There is hardly enough product for prompt distribution to meet consumer need. Also lack of foreign exchange to pay for products and faulty planning are chief among the problems.
 
In addition, poorly developed road network, makes the bulk transportation of petroleum products into the hinterland quite expensive and difficult, and oil marketing companies had to grapple with the reality of regulated margins, ageing fleet of haulage trucks and the decline in market size.
 
The three major oil marketing companies act as leaders on the setting of price for petroleum products, hence an oligopolistic situation is present in the Sierra Leonean market. This is however diluted due to the process of consultation with other stakeholders including Government and the Press before finally announcing a price change.
 
However, there is a very high potential for a pure oligopolistic situation to emerge in the Sierra Leone Petroleum market, for apart from the absence of legal restrictions, there are fewer local entrepreneurs to enter the marketing and retailing sector who could counteract an oligopolistic behaviour by the major established oil marketing corroborations. There are however no restrictive laws and standards for new entrants into the petroleum market, but rather it is the high investment cost of setting up a new retail outlet and the prohibitive terms and conditions for loan from the commercial banks in financing such projects that are the limiting factors.
 
Petroleum marketing and retailing outlets are mostly found in big towns and provincial headquarters towns, and very limited and non-existent in rural areas. This is usually attributed to limited purchasing power and effective demand outside there big towns.
 
Statement of Problem
 
Over the years the Petroleum Industry in Sierra Leone has been fraught with many problems. These problems have been due to Government control through policies, as well as private influence which include mostly marketing. The effect of these policies and influence led to the following:
 
<ul> 
<li> 
Scarcity 	of petroleum product
</li> 
<li> 
Low 	accessibility and affordability of consumers
</li> 
<li> 
Deterioration 	of most of the distribution channels
</li> 
<li> 
Increased 	risk of health and environmental safety
</li> 
<li> 
Inadequate 	provision and sourcing of foreign exchange to finance importation of 	petroleum products.
</li> 
</ul> 
 
Although Government through its policies contributed to the severity of the above situation, it is believed that most of these issues could be resolved through effective and efficient means of marketing petroleum products. Since Sierra Leone is a non-oil producing country, marketing is considered to be the key or major activity of the petroleum industry. As a result a greater portion of the problems of the petroleum industry is associated with marketing. This of course include the pricing, sourcing, promotion and distribution of petroleum products.
 
For the period under review, the marketing of petroleum product has been jointly controlled by the government and the private sector through a system of division of labour. Government controlled the importation, storage and pricing whereas the private companies were responsible for the distribution and marketing. Over the years a series of changes have occurred and currently the industry is still going through a series of transformations. It must be noted that most of these changes are taking place within the marketing sector, with the belief that the problems highlighted could be resolved. In this vein it is plausible to state that a detailed study of the marketing of petroleum products in Sierra Leone is worthy in its own right. Also as published literature on marketing of petroleum products is limited, the study aims at highlighting the problems of marketing petroleum products as well as evaluating the marketing strategies utilized by the marketing companies.
 
Objectives
 
The key objective of this dissertation is to make a critical analysis of the marketing of petroleum products in Sierra Leone by the major petroleum marketing companies in the last decade (1990-2000). In this regard, the study will aim at achieving the following:
 
<ol> 
<li> 
To 	highlight and analyse the problems associated with petroleum 	marketing in Sierra Leone.
</li> 
<li> 
To 	identify and assess the main causes for product scarcity and its 	effect on the marketing of petroleum products.
</li> 
<li> 
Identify 	and analyse Government regulations and controls on petroleum 	marketing.
</li> 
<li> 
Analyse 	the Petroleum Pricing Formula and compare it with the era of 	Government controlled pricing regime.
</li> 
<li> 
To 	evaluate the marketing strategies utilized by the three major 	petroleum-marketing companies in the downstream sector of the 	Industry.
</li> 
</ol> 
 
 
 
 
Justification
 
The study of marketing petroleum products downstream in Sierra Leone is important and significant in many perspectives for example, Government revenue derived from the sale of petroleum products includes excise duty, customs duty and Road Users fund. The total revenue contribute substantially to the national Budget.
 
Marketing Petroleum Products create employment and training of staff in special skills with international exposure. It can be summarized that marketing petroleum products contributes to overall national development.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
LITERATURE REVIEW
 
<ol> 
<li> 
According 	to the American Marketing Association (1960) Marketing is the 	performance of a business activity that directs the flow of goods 	and services from Producer to Consumer or user. The Chartered 	Institute of Marketing considered marketing as the commercial 	discipline which business have developed while trying to identify 	and respond to the needs and demands of consumers or other 	customers. Thus the keyword seems to be customer and our definition 	should probably center on this complicated coordination of different 	factors with the customer at the centre.
</li> 
</ol> 
 
However, according to Meiver (1990), ‘Marketing is not a self-contained discipline that produces result in isolation from other managerial functions, such as production, Purchasing, Personnel and Finance. It is a vital management function that needs to be skillfully blended with the other functions that add up to a successful business’.
 
According to Nigerian Petroleum Business handbook (1997) there is no such thing as a recipe for petroleum marketing, every customer is different. Even though the petroleum products marketed by the major petroleum companies in Sierra Leone come from almost the same Refinery in Abidjan and are of the same grade, the marketing of these products by these companies can be different in approach and in focus. It could basically reflect the approach of continually raising the standard to stay with or ahead of competition.
 
 
Therefore from a major competitor’s view point as contained in the Nigerian Petroleum Business Handbook (1997) “It is more productive to treat each and every country/company on its own merits and manage it accordingly …” The point at issue is to establish how the major petroleum marketing companies in Sierra Leone have internalize the good tenets of marketing. The overriding challenge is to remain profitable and earn adequate returns. This is the number one goal petroleum Marketers must achieve if customers, shareholders, employees and most importantly, the community at large, are to be served satisfactorily.
 
The main activity of the three major petroleum marketing companies in Sierra Leone involves the marketing of refined petroleum products in the Downstream Sector. This includes the retailing of the main fuels (Petrol Gasoil and Kerosene) through the retail stations to the consuming motorists. For most of the period under review (1990-2000) this market has been characterized by product shortages which led to long queues of motorists at the retail stations.
 
In the Nigerian petroleum Business Handbook (1997), it is stated that “Faulty Planning and Logistics, delayed decision making, and failure to learn form History have been variously blamed for the situation”.
 
In Petroleum marketing in Africa (1999) “Historically, the Global petroleum situation being volatile, not least because of Geopolitical conflicts in the main oil producing areas of the globe. Since one can expect the volatility to continue, it is impossible to predict how oil prices will behave even in the very short term.”
 
Despite the problems highlighted there are indications that demand for petroleum product has been increasing during the period under review. According to petroleum marketing in Africa (1999) states “There is no escaping the fact that demand for petroleum products will rise in step with economic growth’.
 
Since demand for petroleum products can be tied down to economic growth it is worth noting that the slow economic growth in Sierra Leone may hamper the market development for petroleum products. However, Nigerian Petroleum Business handbook (1997) states that “It is far more productive to treat each an every country on its own merits and manage it accordingly, rather than, think in terms of developing countries and industrial countries”. In this respect it is worth focusing on specific aspects of marketing petroleum products in Sierra Leone.
 
Philip Kortler marketing management 2000 (Millennium) states that “Marketers normally use numerous tools to elicit desired responses from their target markets. Marketing mix is one set of tools that companies could use to pursue their objectives in a particular market’. These tools have been classified into four broad groups called the (four) 4Ps of marketing. Product, Price, Place and Promotion.
 
It has been asserted that effective marketing system starts and ends with customers’ needs and wants (Alan 1975, Evans 1988). Therefore a good marketer can direct his activities towards identification and complete analysis of a market in order to achieve his goal, a marketer of any product should therefore bear in mind the following marketing variables, which can be called the main demand influencing variable:-
 
The first variable involves complete development of a product that will satisfy the customer needs and wants. It specifically concerns the size, color, brand name, packaging etc. According to Philip Kotler (Marketing Management Millennium Edition). The Product Concept holds that consumers will favour those products that will offer the most quality performance and innovative features.
 
Marketers of petroleum products should concerns themselves with more that product quality and performance. He should be concerned with other related factors that influence the purchase decision of consumers; in the case of petroleum products price, location (place) and to a lesser extent promotion. According to petroleum Business Handbook 6th Edition (1994), Petroleum products in the commercial sense are restricted to the liquid deposits known as crude oil and by refining process the crude producers petrol, gas oil and kerosene, which are mainly sold by the marketing companies at retail outlets.
 
Petroleum Marketing in Sierra Leone like in advanced countries is focused at the retail stations which is the place for selling to the consumer mainly, hence the Distribution Variable.
 
The Distribution element involves the physical distribution of the products and the identification and selection of the appropriate marketing channels. The Retails Stations commonly called “Petrol Stations” are the main channels of petroleum marketing in the downstream sector of the industry. According to Patrick Nyoika et al (1999), in Kenya and most African countries the petroleum sub-sector has been deregulated through a mixture of investment which involves both the public and the private sector, whereas the public sector has been involved in the development of storage and distribution infrastructure, the development of the retail infrastructure has been done by the private sector only. This situation is similar to Sierra Leone where the government is only directly involved in the acquisition of the product and its processing in the refinery. The distribution and marketing aspects however are in the hands of the major petroleum marketing companies.
 
According to Bereket Kebede in (199) this division of labor seems to persist in many African countries. However with reforms gaining momentum this clear cut division may quickly disappear as the private sector starts operating in areas where traditionally the public sector was dominant such a situation is already evident in the petroleum marketing in Sierra Leone where by a private sector company has purchased the refinery asset from the government since 1994.
 
Promotion Variable is concerned with activities geared towards making the product known to consumers I order to create effective demand for the products.
 
Promotional variables comprise personal selling, sales promotion, advertising and public relations. Although promotion is considered a significant aspect of marketing it should however be noted that very little attention is paid to the marketing of petroleum products in Sierra Leone. This could be due to the fact that most of the petroleum products offered by the petroleum marketing companies are of the same grade. In other words in most African countries the products are homogenous, and the significance of differentiation has not yet been recognized.
 
Whilst promotion is not considered a significant variable, price is regarded as the most critical factor in petroleum marketing.
 
According to Martin Christopher et al (1995) “Traditionally price has operated as the major determinant of buyer choice for an important commodity like petroleum products. Therefore it is important to study the petroleum price regime of a country, since the changes in prices significantly affect the operation, of the whole economy. The consequences of price changes can be categorized into direct and partial impacts on producers/consumers and overall macroeconomic impacts. Among the partial impact the impact on industrial sector in particular depends on:
 
 
<ol> 
<li> 
The 	importance of energy as input
</li> 
<li> 
The 	rate of substitution between different energy sources on one hand 	and other factors of production
</li> 
<li> 
The 	ability of the producers to pass on the increase in energy cost to 	the consumers which depends on the elasticity of demand for import.
</li> 
</ol> 
 
According to M.R. Bahagavan (1999);
 
“In Kenya the Governments major role is restricted to price monitoring. In the petroleum sub-sector where the consumer prices are already deregulated, the governments pricing objective is to ensure that consumer prices are determined by market forces. In cognizance of this pricing policy the government will continue to monitor supply, distribution and marketing environment with the view to: producing consumer information on retail prices charged by different petroleum marketing companies and ensuring cartelization and artificially created shortage situation are not allowed to escalate and distort consumer prices.”
The effect of and efficiency of this policy remains to be felt.
 
In Ethiopia B. Kebede (1999) stated that the government started revising prices of petroleum products Biannually in the absence of a futures market. The government has to forecast the relevant prices and the exponential smoothing model, was used for that purpose. The actual price of crude oil is the Dubai average, on this forecast F.O.B. Price, the following cost component are added to compute the total cost of imported crude oil:
 
<ol> 
<li> 
Freight 	and premium
</li> 
<li> 
Insurance: 	this is 0.255% F.O.B.
</li> 
<li> 
Ocean 	leakages: since insurance does not cover loss of less than 0.5% of 	the total value of the Cargo, this ocean leakage will be part of the 	E.P.E. import cost
</li> 
<li> 
Bank 	charges: 4.5% on F.O.B., freight and premium
</li> 
<li> 
Demurrage: 	the rate or amount paid by the importer to the owner of a ship for 	excess use of lay-time as indicated in the contract is considered as 	a demurrage cost.
</li> 
<li> 
Port 	charges.
</li> 
<li> 
Processing 	Fee
</li> 
<li> 
Operating 	expenses.
</li> 
</ol> 
 
Also the following components added on ex-refinery prices to arrive at the retail prices:
 
<ol> 
<li> 
Taxes
</li> 
<li> 
Transport 	cost
</li> 
<li> 
Road 	Fund
</li> 
<li> 
Profit 	Margins
</li> 
</ol> 
 
According to the Arthur D. Little study 1994 (Sierra Leone) in which the petroleum Pricing Formula is reviewed, “The Basic system is sound and it includes several positive features:
 
<ul> 
<li> 
It 	is based on the principle of import parity with reference to Platt’s 	FOB Med prices plus a deemed freight component ensuring 	international price levels are reflected in local supply costs.
</li> 
<li> 
It 	has common margins for all three white products covered thus 	encouraging equal selling efforts for all products and making the 	system simple.
</li> 
<li> 
It 	includes a global distribution margin leaving its allocation up to 	the three parties involved – (Marketers, transporters and dealers) 	– and not the government
</li> 
<li> 
It 	has an adjustment mechanism for variations in the exchange rate and 	the US$ CIF cost
</li> 
<li> 
Finally, 	it si a simple system and appears well designed for Sierra Leone’s 	circumstances.”
</li> 
</ul> 
 
It is therefore worth noting that the outline of the pricing formula adopted in Sierra Leone (1992) see table 8 is very similar in character and input to that of Kenya. Ethiopia and Ghana. Further more the study of pricing in most African countries ha revealed that the pricing methodology has assumed an oligopolistic behaviour. An oligopolistic market becomes a cartel if there exists arrangements amongst at least a few larger sellers on key decisions in such areas as pricing, level of production and market shares. In Kenya it is believed that petroleum marketing firms have not yet established a cartel in the petroleum sub-sector. There is evidence however of the existence of an oligopolistic market in the sub-sector. As indicated above eight petroleum marketing firms own all the filing and service stations and control the marketing of petroleum products in the entire country of Kenya.
 
In Sierra Leone however, even though there are a few sellers in the market, controlling over half of the market it is still believed that a pure oligopolistic market has not yet emerged, this is due to the fact that the petroleum pricing mechanism is still influenced to a certain degree by the government through the petroleum unit.
 
Although the utilization of the 4P’s is an indication that the organization is marketing oriented, the existence of an organized marketing function is an indication of the level of marketing activities executed by an organization. The continued growth of a company warrants additional investment in marketing research, new product development, advertising etc. According to ELSEVIOR I his Petroleum handbook 6th Edition, “The Marketing Organization of an oil company provides the essential interface between the consumer and the rest of the company. It is responsible for ensuring that the consumers interests and needs are correctly represented to the company and that the company’s requirements are met satisfactorily in its business dealings. Representation is expected to embrace knowledge of the full range of products and their performance requirements including Safety, Finance, Distribution, Training etc.
 
Because of the political nature of the petroleum products, oil marketers have to deal with the ever increasing changes in this market. They know that some sources of crude oil and refined products are very unstable, and may be cut-off any moment, or that the price level may be raised overnight to levels that are untenable in the longer term. Responsible marketers therefore are expected to react accordingly and progressively concentrating their marketing effort on oil specific markets where there may be no practical alternative.
 
The good Marketer of petroleum products is expected to make every effort to help and advise his customers on how to conserve energy and thus get the best value for money from the petroleum products that he buys.
 
All too often customers in a petroleum consuming country like Sierra Leone are prone to complain about the high price of petroleum products ignoring the fact that the products are frequently used by Government as a major revenue raiser for national development programmes like Road Construction.
 
During the period under review 1990 to 2000 the total petroleum demand of Sierra Leone was around 240,000 – 300,000 metric tons. Currently the demand for petroleum product is estimated at 350,000 to 400,000 metric tons. However the actual consumption recorded during the review period was subjected to various disruptions mainly due to the war and the withdrawal of major multinational companies from the market. Recorded average of consumption for the period under review and beyond ranges between 200,000 to 300,000 metric tons per annum. According to the United States department of energy, as quoted in the Mbendi Information website, consumption of petroleum products in 1997 was in the region of 276,000 metric tons. Details of individual consumption per product are as follows.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Products
 
 
Consumption 1997 (metric tons)
 
 
 
 
Gasoline
 
 
29,960
 
 
 
 
Jet Fuel
 
 
16,111
 
 
 
 
Kerosene
 
 
8,027
 
 
 
 
Distillate
 
 
95,883
 
 
 
 
Residual
 
 
77,816
 
 
 
 
LPGS
 
 
315
 
 
 
 
Unspecified
 
 
48,332
 
 
 
 
Total
 
 
276,443
 
 
 
 
 
 
However, taking into consideration that the war has ended and stability and peace have been achieved the projected consumption of petroleum products in the next five years will range from 300,000 to 350,000 metric tons per annum. This assumption is based on the fact that:
 
<ol> 
<li> 
The 	major mining companies are reopening with potential for expansion
</li> 
<li> 
Funds 	for reconstruction and development for road infrastructure are at 	hand and therefore a potential for increase in petroleum 	consumption.
</li> 
<li> 
The 	indicated and established interest of investors in the area of 	industrialization in the country are also key potential for 	consumption increase.
</li> 
<li> 
The 	planned increase production of Thermal power at provincial and urban 	areas will reflect an Increase in Fuel consumption.
</li> 
<li> 
The 	advent of increasing international aviation flights and ships 	bunkering will further increase demand for consumption of petroleum 	products.
</li> 
</ol> 
 
This Estimate ca be reviewed in the next 3 to 5 years to test the accuracy of our claims,. However, it should be noted that this production is based on a qualitative not a quantitative analysis.
 
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
 
1.	A General Description of the Study
The aim of the study is to identify and analyze the main factors and issues in the marketing of petroleum products (down stream) in Sierra Leone (1990-2000). This involve a critical analysis of the marketing mix based activities, marketing environment, the issues of industry stakeholders and as well as the Government.
 
In order to determine the key marketing issues, a questionnaire based survey was conducted among the key personnel of government involved in petroleum industry matters (Director of Petroleum Unit) on one hand, and on the other hand, the marketing and Sales Managers of the three major oil marketing companies in Sierra Leone – NP, Mobil and Safecon.
 
The above-named persons and institutions are believed to be able to identify and comment on the key marketing factors that are of strategic importance in the marketing of petroleum products in Sierra Leone for the period under review.
 
The questionnaire covered various topics but focused mainly on marketing mix based items of product, price, place and promotion.
 
2.	Description of the source and Data Collection Methods
 
Relevant Literature and data were sourced from:
 
<ol> 
<li> 
Libraries, 	Petroleum Unit periodicals, Internet, Central Bank Research Unit, 	relevant research materials and written papers on petroleum 	marketing aspect.
</li> 
<li> 
Survey 	of the marketing managers of the three main companies – Mobil 	(Total), National Petroleum(NP) and Safecon.
</li> 
<li> 
Survey 	of the Directors of Petroleum Unit.
</li> 
</ol> 
 
3.	Research Design;
 
A questionnaire based survey was utilized, supported by a structured interview.
The questionnaire was designed to investigate the marketing aspect of petroleum Industry (downstream) in Sierra Leone with a view to highlighting the key problems associated with and the development of the marketing of petroleum products for sustainable development in post war Sierra Leone.
 
4.	Instrumentation
Each question was designed to bring out the facts about the key problems associated with the marketing of petroleum products (downstream) in Sierra Leone such as product scarcity, availability of foreign exchange for importation etc. The Questionnaire (see Appendix B) also considered the pricing of the product as it affects affordability and yet provide adequate income to investors for reinvestment in the petroleum industry infrastructure. The question therefore were adjudged to be clear and unambiguous.
 
In drawing up the questions each question focused on analyzing the marketing of petroleum products downstream by the three marketing petroleum companies (Mobil, NP, Safecon and Petroleum Unit) on the basis of product, price, place and promotions. (The 4P’s of marketing). The Marketing/Sales Managers or Managing Directors and other key personnel of the companies and petroleum Unit were the key respondents.
 
5.	Sampling Procedure
 
The sampling procedure utilized was purposive sampling and is based on he fact that the three major oil companies selected out of seven registered petroleum marketing companies in Sierra Leone, have operated in Sierra Leone for over 4-5 decades. They have established asset base both in terms of equipment, building and human and have a total of 90%market share amongst them.
 
It is also hoped that the critical factors to be investigated will be reflected in these three petroleum companies and the Petroleum Unit.
 
Validation of Questionnaire
 
After compiling the questionnaire, it was validate by people experienced in the area of study (marketing and distribution of petroleum). Following approval, a pre-test of the questionnaire was done by the research e.g. suggestions were made to add questions on exchange rate differential and on other market segments.
 
Administration of the Questionnaire
 
Final copies of the questionnaire after approval and pre-testing were produced. Copies of the questionnaire were administered personally to the identified personnel the marketing/Sales managers of the three petroleum marketing companies and the Director of Petroleum Unit, who are familiar with the terms and concepts used in the questionnaire.
 
Delimitation of the Study
 
The study is limited to a specific period of time (1990 – 2000) and to only three major petroleum marketing companies and the Petroleum Unit, first because the period 1990-2000 is the most recent decade that has seen the most perceived changes in the marketing of petroleum products. Some of these changes are as follows:
 
<ol> 
<li> 
<ul> 
<li> 
Transition 		from crude oil acquisition and processing in the refinery to the 		importation of refined product for marketing
</li> 
<li> 
Deregulation 		of the petroleum market which enhances petroleum marketing 		companies to import refined product – and in addition
</li> 
<li> 
Liberalization 		of the market whereby oil companies can fix petroleum market prices 		independent of direct government control.
</li> 
</ul> 
</li> 
</ol> 
 
The four major institutions also selected for this study are the ones with comprehensive knowledge on the marketing issues to be analyzed within the set time frame (1990-2000).
 
The three petroleum marketing companies namely:- Mobil, NP and Safecon equally have existed over 40 years in Sierra Leone and between them, they have above 90% market share. Two of the three petroleum marketing companies. NP and Safecon have existed as a multi-national petroleum marketing companies in prior years.
 
Method of Data Analysis
 
Effort was made to focus the questionnaire on the key issues under investigation such as product sourcing, product availability and affordability, segmentation, pricing of products at international and local levels, promotion and competition.
 
Primarily, it focused on the issues in the marketing mix – 4P’s as follows.
 
<ol> 
<li> <ol> 
<li> 
Product 		sourcing and grades.
</li> 
<li> 
Pricing 		formula
</li> 
<li> 
Distribution 		channels – Retail, Consumer etc.
</li> 
<li> 
Promotions 		– market environment
</li> 
<li> 
Market 		Research/Information
</li> 
<li> 
Competition
</li> 
<li> 
Segmentation
</li> 
<li> 
Marketing 		function
</li> 
</ol></li> 
</ol> 
 
 
 
 
The Major Petroleum Marketing Companies in Sierra Leone
 
Since the study focused on the three major oil marketing companies currently operating in Sierra Leone, a brief historical background of each of the company is given as below:
 
The three petroleum marketing companies currently operating in Sierra Leone all have their initial origin of establishment from the five transnational companies of BP – British Petroleum, Shell, Mobil, Texaco and Agip.
 
These transnational companies started their marketing of petroleum activities in Sierra Leone as far back as half a century ago. They were mainly involved in the importation of packed petroleum products (drums), which were sold right across the company. With the era of the refinery, these transnational were charged with the responsibility to import and sell the crude oil to the refinery and in turn the refinery after refining the crude sold the refined products to these transnational who marketed the products throughout the country.
 
<ol> 
<li> 
National 	Petroleum Sierra Leone Limited
</li> 
</ol> 
 
National Petroleum is the product of a metamorphosis of BP and Agip, which came into being since the early 1980’s. It has a market share of bout 35% excluding aviation business (Source: Petroleum Bulletin 1994). The government is the majority owner and some private Sierra Leonean institutions.
 
<ol> 
<li> 
Mobil 	Sierra Leone Limited
</li> 
</ol> 
 
This company is still in its origin form as a transnational company, the only surviving of the original five transnational petroleum marketing company. It is recorded to have a market share of 27% and currently the only petroleum marketing company in the Aviation Business in Sierra Leone. It is a subsidiary of corporate Mobil Oil in USA.
 
<ol> 
<li> 
Safecom 	Petroleum Sierra Leone Limited
</li> 
</ol> 
 
Safecon is the final product of a take over and sales of majority share by Shell to Texaco and in Shell Sierra Leone Limited respectively between 1984 to 1995.
 
Safecon is the second largest in market shares with a market share of 31% after NP. It has the largest asset base in storage tanks and other related petroleum-marketing assets. It is mainly owned by Sierra Leoneans and Safecon Jersey in the UK as majority shareholders.
 
 
<ol> 
<li> 
The 	Petroleum Unit
</li> 
</ol> 
 
This Unit was established in 1992 and functions within the Public Sector Management Support Project funded by the World Bank.
 
The Unit functions as an independent coordinator between the Government of Sierra Leone, Donor Institutions and the Petroleum Industry in Sierra Leone.
 
It is also monitoring the collection mechanism of petroleum Revenue. This involves the collection of all obligatory, taxes and duties from all operators in the Petroleum industry as provided in the pricing formula.
 
 
 
 
<ol> 
<li> 
Others
</li> 
</ol> 
 
The other Petroleum marketing Companies that constitute the 10% market share include UNIPETROL, Leone Oil, Chrismel and Star Oil.
 
These are relatively new to the industry with only UNIPETROL having a Regional Corporate Structure.
 
DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
 
This section covers the Presentation, Analysis and Interpretation of data collected from the Survey Questionnaire, Interview and Literature.
 
The Study has been conducted on the three major Petroleum marketing Companies which account for about 90% of the total market share in the Petroleum Industry in Sierra Leone.
 
An average of four key personnel mostly at management and senior staff levels were given questionnaires in each of the companies to complete, followed by an interview to clarify or confirm the information obtained.
 
TABLE 1:	PRESENCE OF MARKETING ORGANIZATION
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NO. OF PEOPLE MARKETING DEPARTMENTS/COMPANY
 
 
 
 
Company of Respondent
 
 
Presence of marketing Dept.
 
 
No of people employed
 
 
Sales Dept.
 
 
Marketing Combined
 
 
Marketing Sales as a % of Total No. of Employees
 
 
 
 
Safecon
 
 
?
 
 
245
 
 
-
 
 
?
 
 
8%
 
 
 
 
Safecon
 
 
?
 
 
245
 
 
-
 
 
?
 
 
10%
 
 
 
 
Safecon
 
 
?
 
 
245
 
 
-
 
 
?
 
 
12%
 
 
 
 
Safecon
 
 
?
 
 
245
 
 
-
 
 
?
 
 
10%
 
 
 
 
Petroleum Unit
 
 
-
 
 
-
 
 
-
 
 
-
 
 
-
 
 
 
 
Mobil
 
 
?
 
 
111315
 
 
-
 
 
?
 
 
6.5%
 
 
 
 
Mobil
 
 
?
 
 
111315
 
 
-
 
 
?
 
 
15%
 
 
 
 
Mobil
 
 
?
 
 
111315
 
 
-
 
 
?
 
 
6.5%
 
 
 
 
Mobil
 
 
?
 
 
111315
 
 
-
 
 
?
 
 
15%
 
 
 
 
NP
 
 
?
 
 
6810
 
 
-
 
 
?
 
 
13%
 
 
 
 
NP
 
 
?
 
 
8.4
 
 
-
 
 
?
 
 
10.6
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
From the questionnaire it was observed that all of the three companies surveyed have a marketing department and the number of people employed within the marketing department averages about 8. This is definitely an indication that all the three companies are engaged in marketing and not just in selling of petroleum products. The concept of marketing highlights the fact that marketing of product by companies could only be effected within a marketing organization. This is in line with the hypothesis that companies with marketing organizations practice marketing more effectively than those without marketing structure.
 
The study reveals that the sales department of the companies is part or within the marketing department and the study also revealed that the average number of people employed within the marketing department of the different companies is about 11 or 8% of the total number of employees. This might indicate a very low level taking into consideration that their core activity in Sierra Lone is marketing of petroleum products, that is to say they are not involved in exploration and refinery. As a result one can assume that their level of marketing activity is minimal.
 
TABLE 2:	NUMBER OF PRODUCT MARKETED BY COMPANY
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NO. OF PRODUCT PER COMPANY AND SOURCE OF SUPPLY
 
 
 
 
Company of Respondent
 
 
No. of Products 			Marketed
 
 
Most Common Product 			Marketed
 
 
Supply
 
 
No. of Years
 
 
 
 
NP
 
 
4
 
 
petrol
 
 
Abidjan/Dakar
 
 
11 – 15
 
 
 
 
NP
 
 
4
 
 
”
 
 
Ivory Coast/Senegal
 
 
11 – 15
 
 
 
 
Safecon
 
 
4
 
 
”
 
 
Abidjan/Cameroon
 
 
0 – 5
 
 
 
 
Safecon
 
 
4
 
 
”
 
 
“
 
 
6 – 10
 
 
 
 
Safecon
 
 
4
 
 
”
 
 
“
 
 
>15 years
 
 
 
 
Safecon
 
 
4
 
 
”
 
 
“
 
 
0 – 15
 
 
 
 
Mobil
 
 
4
 
 
”
 
 
Abidjan/Spain/Italy
 
 
6 – 10
 
 
 
 
Mobil
 
 
4
 
 
”
 
 
“
 
 
>15 years
 
 
 
 
Mobil
 
 
4
 
 
”
 
 
Abidjan/Senegal
 
 
6 – 10
 
 
 
 
Mobil
 
 
4
 
 
”
 
 
“
 
 
11-15 years
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1.	Products
 
. According to the study as shown by the above table, an average of four different petroleum products are mostly marketed by the 3 different companies out of a total of eight products. These four consist of petrol, diesel, kerosene and lubricants which they all have in common. Out of the four, petrol is the most common with the same grade sold by each company the only exception being lubricants. For example for petrol, the standardized grade is 87-89 octane.
 
With this information, we can conclude that there is no differentiation of products and this brings about an advantage of intercompany storage arrangements for the products. From the study also it was observed that the 3 companies obtain their petroleum products from the same source mainly from the Abidjan Refinery in the Ivory Coast, although occasionally certain companies bring in products from Spain and South Africa. The focus however still remains Abidjan. The observation that a nearby petroleum producing country, Nigeria – an OPEC member, is not utilized. This is because Nigeria also experiences refined product scarcities most times due to factors like inadequate refinery capacity etc.
 
Although all of the, companies confirmed that they have been receiving product from this one source (Abidjan) for over 10 years, indicating reliability of the source, it is good to mention that there is an inherent risk associated with a single source of supply for a vital commodity like petroleum products. The risk include non-supply of product due to conflict or natural disaster. For example the recent rebel war in Ivory Coast caused delays in product supply to Sierra Leone, hence fuel shortages were experienced by consumers.
 
On the global scene, Stephen Karekezi et al (1994) notes that
 
“The global petroleum situation has been volatile not least because of geo-political conflict in oil producing areas of the globe. The main effect of such conflicts is the disruption in the supply and demand of petroleum products and pricing which will be difficult to predict in the short term”.
 
It is worth noting that the Petroleum Market in Sierra Leone is characterized by such disruption in supply and demand.
 
TABLE 3: NUMBER OF STATIONS BY COMPANY BY REGION
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NO. OF STATIONS BY REGION
 
 
 
 
Company of Respondent
 
 
Stations
 
 
No. of Stations by Region 
 
 
 
 
No. of Outlets
 
 
% of Company & Private
 
 
WA
 
 
NP
 
 
EP
 
 
SP
 
 
Others
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Co.
 
 
Private
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NP
 
 
>30
 
 
100
 
 
-
 
 
-
 
 
-
 
 
-
 
 
-
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NP
 
 
>30
 
 
-
 
 
-
 
 
-
 
 
6
 
 
11
 
 
6
 
 
11
 
 
 
 
Safecon
 
 
202530
 
 
90
 
 
10
 
 
10
 
 
6
 
 
3
 
 
2
 
 
-
 
 
 
 
Safecon
 
 
1517.520
 
 
100
 
 
-
 
 
10
 
 
6
 
 
3
 
 
2
 
 
-
 
 
 
 
Safecon
 
 
202530
 
 
100
 
 
-
 
 
10
 
 
6
 
 
3
 
 
2
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Safecon
 
 
202530
 
 
0
 
 
86
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Mobil
 
 
202530
 
 
100
 
 
-
 
 
8
 
 
3
 
 
3
 
 
6
 
 
-
 
 
 
 
Mobil
 
 
202530
 
 
100
 
 
-
 
 
8
 
 
5
 
 
3
 
 
6
 
 
5
 
 
 
 
Mobil
 
 
202530
 
 
100
 
 
-
 
 
8
 
 
5
 
 
3
 
 
6
 
 
-
 
 
 
 
Mobil
 
 
26.6 = 27
 
 
100
 
 
-
 
 
8
 
 
5
 
 
3
 
 
6
 
 
5
 
 
 
 
Industry Av.
 
 
26.6 = 27
 
 
-
 
 
-
 
 
-
 
 
-
 
 
-
 
 
-
 
 
-
 
 
 
 
 
WA	=	Western Area
NP	=	Northern Province
EP	=	Eastern Province
SP	=	Southern Province
 
2.	Distribution (Place)
 
According to Table 3, the study revealed the number of retail stations for the whole petroleum Industry amongst the 3 petroleum marketing companies ranges between 27 – 30 stations per company, that is about 70 – 90 stations for industry average. The study further revealed an average of 7 stations by region, with one petroleum marketing company having the highest of 10 stations per region on the average.
 
This indicates that there is an even spread of the number of retail stations throughout the country. From discussion during the Interview all the stations are located in the urban towns of the Regions. That is at the Regional Headquarter towns. The rural areas are yet to get places for the distribution of petroleum products. This may be due to lack of sufficient purchasing power .
 
TABLE 4: NUMBER OF BULK LORRIES BY CAPACITY BY COMPANY
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BULK LORRIES BY CAPACITY
 
 
 
 
Company of Respondent
 
 
No. of Lorries
 
 
Diffi. Capacity (IGS)
 
 
No. of Truck
 
 
 
 
NP
 
 
-
 
 
2000-3000
 
 
30%
 
 
 
 
NP
 
 
>25
 
 
1500-2000
 
 
50%
 
 
 
 
Safecon
 
 
>25
 
 
1500-2000
 
 
20
 
 
 
 
Safecon
 
 
>25
 
 
2000-3000
 
 
8
 
 
 
 
Safecon
 
 
>25
 
 
4000-6000
 
 
Nil
 
 
 
 
Mobil
 
 
10-15
 
 
1500-2000
 
 
10
 
 
 
 
Mobil
 
 
>25
 
 
2000-3000
 
 
3
 
 
 
 
Mobil
 
 
5-10
 
 
4000-6000
 
 
7
 
 
 
 
Mobil
 
 
10-15
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Mobil
 
 
>25
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3.	Transportation
 
Bulk lorries are specialized and dedicated trucks that deliver refined petroleum products to various retail stations and locations. From analysis of the survey questionnaire as indicated in Table 4 all the 3 major petroleum marketing companies have an average of 25 trucks with an average capacity ranging between 2000 – 3000 gallons per truck.
 
The analysis also showed that the average number of stations of 26 is almost equal to the average number of trucks – 25. That is to say a truck per station. Somewhere in the survey questionnaire it is recorded by most of the respondents that the state of the bulk lorries was poor due to age of the trucks, lack of proper maintenance and the poor condition of the roads outside the city. This causes lack of regular supply of petroleum products to the provinces thus causing scarcity.
 
TABLE 5:	THE LEVEL OF PROMOTION BUDGET AND MARGINS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
% PROMOTION BUDGET AND MEDIA
 
 
 
 
Company 			of Respondent
 
 
 
 
 
Medium 			of Promotion
 
 
 
Frequency
 
 
Impact
 
 
 
 
Budget as 			% of Sales
 
 
Electronic
 
 
Print
 
 
Radio
 
 
TV
 
 
Very 			Sig.
 
 
Not 			Sig.
 
 
Less 			Sig.
 
 
 
 
Safecon
 
 
5-10
 
 
?
 
 
?
 
 
?
 
 
?
 
 
4-5
 
 
-
 
 
?
 
 
-
 
 
 
 
Safecon
 
 
5-10
 
 
?
 
 
?
 
 
?
 
 
?
 
 
1-2
 
 
-
 
 
-
 
 
?
 
 
 
 
Safecon
 
 
5-10
 
 
?
 
 
?
 
 
?
 
 
?
 
 
4-5
 
 
-
 
 
?
 
 
-
 
 
 
 
Safecon
 
 
5-10
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NP
 
 
5-10
 
 
-
 
 
?
 
 
-
 
 
-
 
 
4-5
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Mobil
 
 
-
 
 
-
 
 
?
 
 
?
 
 
?
 
 
-
 
 
-
 
 
-
 
 
?
 
 
 
 
Mobil
 
 
-
 
 
-
 
 
?
 
 
?
 
 
?
 
 
-
 
 
?
 
 
-
 
 
-
 
 
 
 
Mobil
 
 
-
 
 
-
 
 
?
 
 
?
 
 
?
 
 
75
 
 
-
 
 
?
 
 
-
 
 
 
 
Petroleum 			Unit
 
 
-
 
 
-
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.	Promotion
 
Promotion basically means a way of getting consumers to be aware of your product and to eventually buy. It includes everything you tell the market about your product.
 
The survey highlighted the fact (Table 5) that the major petroleum marketing companies are spending about 5 – 10% of their total operating budget as promotion budget and they are mostly using the print, radio and television as the key media with a frequency of 4 – 5 times a year. However, 75% respondents indicated that promotion was making less impact on the marketing of petroleum products in Sierra Leone while the remaining 25% mainly the only multinational company, reported very significant impact.
 
The lack of promotion may be due to the fact that all the three companies market the same products and at the same price in all locations. Also there is hardly enough product to distribute hence the lack of promotion. Further it is believed that the market is demand driven.
 
However, it is worth noting that promotion falls into two broad categories: Personal and Interpersonal. Personal Selling (face to face) dealing with customers is more evident in the marketing of petroleum products in Sierra Leone especially at the Retail Stations where the dealers and pump attendants have to provide service to the customers in person. There are no fully automated retail stations in Sierra Leone petroleum marketing scene. Hence it is evident that interpersonal selling i.e. morAbout the Author: AUTHOR 
ABDUL KARIM NOAH AND AMADU. B. NDOEKAArticle Source: <a href="http://www.articlesbase.com/">ArticlesBase.com</a> - <a href="http://www.articlesbase.com/international-marketing-articles/marketing-petroleum-products-in-the-downstream-sector-in-sierra-leone-484771.html" title="Marketing Petroleum Products in the Downstream Sector in Sierra Leone">Marketing Petroleum Products in the Downstream Sector in Sierra Leone</a>

ABSTRACT

AUTHOR
ABDUL KARIM NOAH AND AMADU. B. NDOEKA

Rate this Article:

0 / 5 stars - 0 vote(s)

Re-Publish

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/international-marketing-articles/marketing-petroleum-products-in-the-downstream-sector-in-sierra-leone-484771.html

Article Tags: Marketing Petroleum Products In Sierra Leone

Related Articles
Related Q&A

1. Mohamed Sillah (12:35, 17.07.2008)

Interesting and detailed article.

Latest International Marketing Articles
More from Abdul Karim Noah

Replacement Laptop Battery for COMPAQ EVO N180

By: Rainco | 22/12/2009
We focus on bringing the best replacement COMPAQ EVO N180 SERIES Laptop Battery sales to our customers and desire our customers can buy their satisfying COMPAQ Laptop Battery, the Li-ion 4000mAh 14.40V COMPAQ EVO N180 SERIES Laptop Battery on sales will be the perfect replacement to your original COMPAQ EVO N180 SERIES machine. We guarantee the COMPAQ EVO N180 SERIES Laptop Battery with a full one-year warranty from the date of purchase, 30-days money back, if the battery(s) have any quality pr

Replacement Laptop Battery for COMPAQ Presario V5000

By: Rainco | 22/12/2009
We focus on bringing the best replacement COMPAQ Presario V5000 Series Laptop Battery sales to our customers and desire our customers can buy their satisfying COMPAQ Laptop Battery, the Li-ion 8800mAh 10.80V COMPAQ Presario V5000 Series Laptop Battery on sales will be the perfect replacement to your original COMPAQ Presario V5000 Series machine. We guarantee the COMPAQ Presario V5000 Series Laptop Battery with a full one-year warranty from the date of purchase, 30-days money back, if the batter

Replacement Laptop Battery for HP Pavilion dv6000

By: Rainco | 22/12/2009
We focus on bringing the best replacement HP Pavilion dv6000 Series Laptop Battery sales to our customers and desire our customers can buy their satisfying HP Laptop Battery, the Li-ion 8800mAh 10.80V HP Pavilion dv6000 Series Laptop Battery on sales will be the perfect replacement to your original HP Pavilion dv6000 Series machine. We guarantee the HP Pavilion dv6000 Series Laptop Battery with a full one-year warranty from the date of purchase, 30-days money back, if the battery(s) have any qu

Replacement Laptop Battery for HP Pavilion dv2000

By: Rainco | 22/12/2009
Replacement HP Pavilion dv2000 Series Laptop Battery,Laptop Battery for HP,Pavilion dv2000 Series Laptop Battery, Low Price, Fast Delivery, Excellent Customer Service For You!

Blogging: “Are you Human”?

By: Julie Weishaar | 17/12/2009
Modern technology has come a long way. When is it going too far?

Replacement Laptop Battery for ACER Aspire 5100

By: Rainco | 14/12/2009
laptop battery,acer battery,apple battery, camcorder battery,battery chargers, digital camera battery,drill battery Replacement ACER Aspire 5100 Series Laptop Battery,Laptop Battery for ACER,Aspire 5100 Series Laptop Battery, Low Price, Fast Delivery, Excellent Customer Service For You! Australia Laptop Batteries & others kinds of Batteries Company Shop with Confidence. Brand New & Factory Fresh. 30-Days Money-back Guarantee & 1 Year Warranty.

Replacement Laptop Battery for ACER Aspire 3000

By: Rainco | 14/12/2009
laptop battery,acer battery,apple battery, camcorder battery,battery chargers, digital camera battery,drill battery Replacement ACER Aspire 3000 Laptop Battery,Laptop Battery for ACER,Aspire 3000 Laptop Battery, Low Price, Fast Delivery, Excellent Customer Service For You! Australia Laptop Batteries & others kinds of Batteries Company Shop with Confidence. Brand New & Factory Fresh. 30-Days Money-back Guarantee & 1 Year Warranty.

Replacement Laptop Battery for ACER Aspire 5630

By: Rainco | 14/12/2009
laptop battery,acer battery,apple battery, camcorder battery,battery chargers, digital camera battery,drill battery Replacement ACER Aspire 5630 Series Laptop Battery,Laptop Battery for ACER,Aspire 5630 Series Laptop Battery, Low Price, Fast Delivery, Excellent Customer Service For You! Australia Laptop Batteries & others kinds of Batteries Company Shop with Confidence. Brand New & Factory Fresh. 30-Days Money-back Guarantee & 1 Year Warranty.

Learn to Write a Good Dissertation

By: Abdul Karim Noah | 11/09/2008 | College & University
The objective of this paper is to guide students in the selection of their topics, and the development of their research proposals.The paper also highlights the significance of dissertations to students.

Marketing Petroleum Products in the Downstream Sector in Sierra Leone

By: Abdul Karim Noah | 15/07/2008 | International Marketing
. This study is an attempt to develop a general literature on the marketing of petroleum products in Sierra Leone. The thrust of the study is to conduct a critical analysis of the petroleum marketing trend in the most recent decade focusing on the key factors of the marketing mix and the associated problems with marketing. In this connection the following issues were investigated:product sourcing, distribution, channels, pricing formula, methods of production.etc

Abdul Karim Noah has 3 articles online.

Contact Author

Subscribe to RSS

Print article

Publish this Article

Send to friend

Article Categories

All Categories

Marketing

Need Help?
Contact Us
FAQ
Submit Articles
Editorial Guidelines
Blog

Site Links
Recent Articles
Top Authors
Top Articles
Find Articles
Site Map

Webmasters
Partner with Us
RSS Builder
RSS
Link to Us

Business Info
Advertising
Article Writing
Partner with Us

Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the Terms Of Use and Privacy Policy | User published content is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Copyright © 2005-2008 Free Articles by ArticlesBase.com, All rights reserved. (0.20, 6, w2)