Another independent oil player has come forward to allay public fears regarding a possible shortage of fuel products in Metro Manila.

Unioil Petroleum Philipines, one of the country’s leading small oil companies, said Tuesday it is not affected by the ongoing “gas leak” at the West Tower condominium located at the corner of Del Pilar Street and Osmeña Highway, Barangay Bangkal, Makati City.

“Unioil would like to assure the public that our supply remains stable and we are not affected by the oil leak in Makati,” Leah Flor, the company’s corporate communications officer, said.

One of the suspected causes for the gas seepage in the condominium’s bottom basement – now more than two weeks old – has been an alleged leak in the pipeline underneath West Tower.

The pipeline, which connects the port of Batangas to the oil depots in Pandacan, Manila, was temporarily shut off last week as a precautionary measure even as authorities tried to trace the leak’s source. It was reopened only on Saturday night.

Asked if Unioil gets its fuel supply elsewhere, Flor answered: “Yes, we have our own depot.”

Thus, the independent oil firm claimed that it is not experiencing fuel supply troubles like major player Pilipinas Shell, which over the weekend admitted that 50 percent of their supply of crude and gasoline has been affected by the pipeline’s closure.

“We’re rushing to re-supply gas stations that have stopped operating. Within two weeks, fuel supply will normalize,” Shell spokesperson Bobby Kanapi said.

Unioil has fewer than 50 retail stations in Luzon.

On Monday, Eastern Petroleum President and Independent Philippine Petroleum Companies Association (IPPCA) Chairman Fernando Martinez gave the same kind of assurance to consumers and told them not to worry.

“Fuel supply is normal for Eastern and the other independent companies,” Martinez said.

IPPCA members like Unioil and Eastern Petroleum make up for 25 to 30 percent of fuel products in the domestic market.