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Isla Petroleum and Peak Fuel now combine liquefied petroleum gas import volumes under one co-loading arrangement
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It is believed to be the first such deal between two independent LPG importers in the Philippines
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Both firms still compete for customers but now share buying and shipping to strengthen supply security
Isla Petroleum & Gas Corp. (Isla) and Peak Fuel Corp. have agreed to co-load LPG imports. It is the first time two independent LPG importers in the Philippines are known to have shared procurement, even though they compete for customers.
Banjo Castillo, chief operating officer of Isla and Group president and CEO (Phils.) of Citadel Pacific Ltd, announced the partnership on LinkedIn. He wrote that “to our knowledge, this is the first co-loading arrangement between two independent LPG importers in the Philippines.”
The two companies will combine their volumes when sourcing LPG supply, so both can use one import arrangement instead of each buying on its own. Castillo said the setup plays to each company’s strengths and makes buying more efficient. He added that it strengthens both firms’ supply chains and makes the country’s LPG supply more resilient.
Both companies will still run their businesses separately and compete for customers.
LPG companies often work together on infrastructure, logistics, safety and industry programs. Castillo said procurement is different. Collaboration there is “far rarer” because it is “where supply security begins,” where major risks are managed, and often where companies gain an edge over rivals.
“The true achievement was the willingness of two organizations to trust each other in one of the most commercially sensitive parts of their business,” he said.
Both sides recognized that “energy resiliency is bigger than any one company,” he added.
The companies recently celebrated the agreement with Lance Gokongwei, group CEO of JG Summit, and Ricky Delgado, group CEO of Citadel Pacific.
Castillo thanked Peak Fuel general manager Alan Acuña, Isla chief commercial officer Tonito Gonzalez, and Isla general manager for supply and logistics Earl Campos, along with their teams, for making the deal happen.
Isla belongs to the Citadel Pacific group’s energy businesses. It entered the Philippine LPG market in 2012, when it bought Shell’s LPG business and renamed the Shellane brand as Solane. Its import and gas terminal units support distribution across the country. In April 2026 the group opened the Isla Import Terminals facility in Batangas City, its largest LPG terminal to date.
Peak Fuel is the fuels trading arm of the JG Summit Petrochemicals Group, owned by JG Summit Olefins Corp. under JG Summit Holdings. It started commercial operations in 2021 and supplies LPG to refillers and marketers. Its terminal in Batangas City has 32,000 metric tons of refrigerated storage, which the company says is the largest LPG storage capacity of any domestic terminal.
When two importers co-load, their cargoes travel on the same vessel or shipment. That can lower freight and handling costs for each ton, make better use of ship space, and make it easier to secure regular supply, especially for importers too small to fill a large gas carrier alone.
For refillers, distributors and industrial LPG users, the deal could mean steadier supply from two major Batangas-based importers. For shipping lines, terminal operators and port planners, it may point to larger, combined LPG cargoes arriving in Batangas. It also shows that rivals can share parts of the supply chain while still competing on sales.
“Competition makes industries stronger. But sometimes collaboration makes them more resilient,” Castillo said.
