Balongan refinery changes maintenance schedule

State owned oil and gas company Pertamina has changed the maintenance (turn around) schedule of the company's refinery plant in Balongan, West Java to once in every four years from once in every three years in a bid to reduce rising maintenance costs.

Manager of the Balongan plant, Syofrinaldy, said in Jakarta on Friday that the upcoming maintenance would be carried out in July 2007 instead of July, 2006 as initially planned. "We are still waiting for approval from Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources and Pertamina's executive board for the change," he added.

He said that the extension of the maintenance period would significantly reduce the maintenance cost.

Igantius Tallelembang, another executive of the refinery plant, said that one of the catalyst units of the company's Atmospheric Reside Hydro Demetilization (ARHDM) would be replaced in July or August, this year. "This will reduce the ARHDM capacity by between 85 percent to 90 percent, or from 58,000 barrels to 29,000 barrels," he said.

The Balongan refinery plant has the capacity to refine oil by 125,000 barrels per day. The fuel products from this plant include Pertamax, Pertamax-plus, Premium, kerosene and propylene naphtha. (godang)