Infratil deciding fate of Shell brand in NZ

Shell has reported fuel sales growth of 4 per cent in a flat market. Photo / Martin Sykes

Infratil says any decision to change the Shell brand will be made within the next six months.

The company has owned a half share of Shell's downstream assets through Greenstone Energy since April and has reported fuel sales growth of 4 per cent at the time when the sector was flat.

Chief executive Marko Bogoievski said work was being done on how Shell would be branded.

"There's a little bit of benefit in presenting yourself as a locally owned and managed organisation - and why should we hide away from that?" he said yesterday.

"That's what we are - a proud Kiwi organisation competing against multinationals.

"But I think in the commercial space you're dealing with hard-nosed businesses who may feel that sentiment but will take their business on a cents-per-litre basis."

While it was hard to ascertain the draw of Kiwi ownership, the ability to make decisions locally and quickly was paying off when competitors had less autonomy, Bogoievski said.

"We're not committed to Shell, we have the rights to use it and the option to change it and the decision will be based on work that is nearing completion." It should be done by the end of the financial year, at the end of March.

The main transition risks surrounding personnel and key contracts had been overcome, he said.

There have been signs other oil majors besides Shell will get out of fuel retailing in New Zealand and Bogoievski said other parts of the industry were "clearly stressed and changing shape".

"Whether the industry fragments or consolidates - we want to own this business. We're a market leader and we've got well-positioned sites."

Market share had moved incrementally in the past but was now moving in bigger chunks, which he said was related to changing industry structure.

The Shell buy pushed net bank debt of Infratil and its subsidiaries to $265 million from $82 million over the six months.

Greenstone produced total earnings before stock value adjustments of $100 million for the six months (compared with $141 million over the 2009 calender year for the former owners) and an equity accounted contribution of $13 million. Bogoievski said the industry had a long history of underperformance relative to the returns needed to sustain ongoing investment.

"That's something the industry [has] to come to grips with."