MANILA, Philippines -- The Department of Energy assured the public on Thursday that fuel supply has already normalized in Metro Manila already normalized, after the pipeline delivering fuel from Batangas to the Pandacan depot in Manila resumed operations last Saturday.

Energy Secretary Jose Rene D. Almendras, their findings concurred with that of the Makati City Engineers Office that the pipeline of First Philippine Industrial Corp. was not the source of the leak discovered at the basement of the West Tower condominium along Osmena Highway, Brgy Bangkal, Makati City.

Almendras added that it was joint inspection and effort.

Major oil firm Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., whose supplies were affected from the shutdown of the FPIC pipelines, had assured the public as well of normal fuel supply by Friday.

Earlier reports had shown a lack of fuel supply, particularly, diesel, in some of the service stations in Metro Manila.

Roberto S. Kanapi, Shell vice president for communications, said 25 of the company?s service stations in Metro Manila were still experiencing tight supply, particularly diesel, as of Thursday.

The shutdown of FPIC pipelines last week had affected as many as 100 Shell stations in Metro Manila, Kanapi added.

Kanapi further assured the public that Shell would not pass on to consumers the costs or any foregone revenues it incurred. According to him, Shell will also ?absorb any impact on the fuel price to consumers when the company resorted to using barges and trucks when the pipeline was shut down upon orders of the Makati City government.?

The local government of Makati City has found the West Tower management negligent when it allowed water to accumulate in its basement, which prevented authorities from tracing the cause of the leak.

Results of the tests conducted on the pipelines of FPIC showed that these were negative for leaks.

The FPIC pipeline commenced operations in 1969 and has been operating safely and normally, transporting about 60 percent of Metro Manila?s petroleum needs 24 hours a day.

The pipeline, 14 inches in diameter is made from special steel that is reportedly 2.5 times stronger than the structural steel that is normally used in high rise structures and bridges.

FPIC?s pipeline system consists of two main pipelines, one for the refined petroleum products (the ?white? line) and the other for heavier petroleum products (the ?black? line).

The Lopez-led First Gen Corp. exercises organizational supervision over FPIC.