Balongan cuts RCC production due to problem

Pertamina's Balongan refinery has cut production at its residue catalytic cracker to 75 percent of its 83,000 barrels-per-day production capacity, a senior Pertamina official said on Thursday.

"There is a minor problem in Balongan's residue catalytic cracker (RCC). Because of this, the RCC cannot run at maximum capacity, but is still able to run at 75 percent," Dwi Kushartojo, deputy director for processing, told Reuters.

He said preparations for repairs, which could take up to 12 days, were under way. He did not say whether the refinery would be shut down during that period.

The RCC processes residual fuel oil into high quality petroleum products, mostly gasoline.

Kushartojo said Indonesia might increase its gasoline imports in February to cover for the loss of the RCC's output.

"But it would not be big," he said. He declined to elaborate.

Apart from its RCC, all other units in Balongan are running normally.

Its crude distillation units, with combined can process 125,000 bpd of crude, are running at 90 percent of capacity, the official said.(*)