Balongan refinery halts operation for two months
Tuesday, February 6 2001 - 04:30 AM WIB
The Balongan refinery, which supply 70 percent of fuel needs in Jakarta, has halted operation for two months for a repair work, according to a senior official of state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina.
But Pertamina downstream director Arrifi Nawawi said on Monday that the supply of fuel for Jakarta over the next 26 days had been secured.
"I guarantee that fuel stock for Jakarta and other areas in the next 26 days is secured," Arrifi told reporters on the sidelines of a hearing session with the House of Representatives commission VIII on energy and mining.
Arrifi did not say when the halt of the Balongan operation started.
He said that Pertamina had long anticipated the consequences of the halt in the Balongan refinery by making fuel stock, import of fuel products from Singapore, and a well-scheduled crude process dialing.
He said that the repair work at Balongan was crucial to avoid technical disturbances in the supply of fuel to Jakarta and other parts in the country in the future.
Asked about the import volume, he said that Pertamina's average import level was between 8,000-10,000 barrel per day compared to the normal import level of 5,000-6,000 barrel per day. (Godang S.)