Threats and prospects for the development of operators in the market of light petroleum products of Ukraine

The study of the market of light petroleum products of Ukraine made it possible to establish that the market is highly competitive and is growing at an average pace. The main operators on it are FPG "Privat" (gas station networks "Avias", "ANP", "Sentosa Oil", etc.), PJSC "Ukrnafta" (gas station network "UKRNAFTA"), PEG "Continental" (gas station network "WOG"), JSC "Concern "Galnaftogaz" (gas station network "OKKO"). These companies, as well as international gas stations networks, occupy the best competitive positions in the market. In the nearest future, the entry of new companies into the market is not forecasted. Oil refinery companies in Ukraine import oil and products of its processing, and their own oil and gas fields are not developed. Foreign companies that develop their own fields (for example, Russian corporations) have a significant competitive advantage. Also, competitive advantages for operators in the light petroleum products market are the geographical distribution of filling stations, the presence of a strong brand, additional service for consumers, and a significant number of loyal consumers. It was found that such factors as the presence of bureaucratic aspects in decision-making in cooperation with the state, unfair competition in the market from illegal gas stations, a gradual increase in the number of electric vehicles, global fluctuations in oil prices, legislative restrictions, inflation, potential devaluation of the hryvnia, as well as the low purchasing power of consumers have a threatening impact on the market. Among the weaknesses of the industry was the exhaustiveness of the planet's oil resources, and among the opportunities - the development of its own fields or the gradual diversification of production towards adjacent markets (for example, the renewable energy market). Based on the analysis of the light petroleum products industry, it was established that horizontal and vertical diversification strategies are promising for JSC "Concern Galnaftogaz". According to them, the main marketing solutions of this enterprise can be aimed at creating new types of products (in particular, related to renewable energy), building solar power plants and wind farms on the company's own land plots, and full access to the renewable energy market. The advantage of these strategies is the minimization of risk since the market is partially known (JSC "Concern Galnaftogaz" owns a façade solar power plant on the building of the head office and "green" filling stations (filling stations with solar panels on roofs) in areas with a high level of solar insolation. The implementation of the diversification strategy also consists in expanding the range of products offered by JSC "Concern Galnaftogaz", for example, by providing such a new service as testing fuel samples in mobile laboratories for individuals who would be able to carry out their own fuel quality check offered by various filling stations.

Determination of the Solubility, Dissolution Enthalpy, and Entropy of Icariin in Acetone, Acetoacetate, Chloroform, and Light Petroleum

The solubility of icariin in acetone, acetoacetate, chloroform, and light petroleum in the 283.2‐318.2 K range was measured by ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry. As the temperature increased, the solubility of icariin in the 4 solvents gradually increased. The solubility data correlated with the modified Apelblat equation. The dissolution enthalpy and entropy of icariin were determined using van’t Hoff plots. The dissolution enthalpy and entropy of icariin in the 4 solvents increases as acetone >acetoacetate >chloroform >light petroleum, which can be explained by the difference of the polarity indices between them. The polarity indices of the solvents affect the solubility behavior.