---

Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc. (AMPNI), has announced that it plans to commence physical supply operations at its new service center in Portland on April 1st 2008.

The launch of the company's service centre in the United Kingdom will expand Aegean's global network of marine fuel service centers to eight. Aegean also has operations based in Greece, Gibraltar, Singapore, Jamaica, the United Arab Emirates, Belgium and Ghana.

The latest addition follows the company's acquisition of Portland Bunkers International Ltd.(PBI) last year. A subsidiary of Greek construction company Diekat S.A., PBI was established in late 1999 to specifically set up the new bunkering operation in Portland.

Located within Portland harbour on the north-eastern side of the Isle of Portland, the facility utilised underground storage tanks previously used by the British Royal Navy. The 40,000 m3 capacity storage tanks were then renovated by PBI, a new pipeline system installed and a purpose-built jetty was constructed at the inner breakwater of Portland Harbour. The construction project was completed in 2004.

The capacity of the storage tanks at Portland is now approximately 40,000 metric tonnes, where fuel oil and distillates can be stored. There is also a storage facility for marine lubricants.

Aegean recently announced that it had established bunkering stations in Ghana and Antwerp to cater for the needs of clients in West Africa and Northern Europe.

Bunkering operations in Ghana commenced on 15th January 2008. Aegean's double hull floating storage tanker M/T "FOS" with 70,000 storage capacity is anchored off Tema. The company also has two vessels stationed in the area: the M/T Aegean Tulip, which is able to store 3200mt of Fuel Oil and 700mt of Marine Gas Oil and the M/T Aegean VII, which has a storage capacity of 3300mt for Fuel Oil and 500mt for Marine Gas Oil. The vessels have pumping rates of 500mt and 300mt respectively and are able to call at ports in various countries along the West African coast including Ivory Coast, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

Following the launch of Aegean's bunkering station in Antwerp, the company says that it is now able to offer offshore supplies in more than 45 ports in Northern Europe, including the North and Irish Sea, the French Atlantic and the English Channel, which will complement its bunkering operations in Portland.

Ramsgate, Le Havre, Dieppe and Isle of Wight are the other main locations covered by Aegean in the English Channel, while it also says that it is able to supply in Dover, Southampton and other areas along the East Coast including Felixstowe, Sheerness, Humber, Tyne and Tees ports. Scapa, Nigg Bay and Firth of Forth are also covered.

Other bunker suppliers able to make deliveries in Portland are bitumen and napthenic specialist Nynas Ltd., and Chesterfield based oil distributor CPL Petroleum Ltd.. Both companies supply bunker fuel by truck in numerous ports across the country. Meanwhile, Shell Marine Products is an established supplier of marine lubricants at the port.

Oil Major ExxonMobil Marine Fuels is currently a leading player in the English Channel. It delivers ex-pipe from its Fawley refinery and also supplies in Weymouth, Southampton, Portsmouth, Poole, Shoreham and Newhaven.