Oiltanking?s fuel storage facility starts operation

Private firm PT Oiltanking Karimun started on Thursday operation of its fuel storage facility at Lekup Bay in Meral Barat District, Karimun Regency, Riau Islands Province, following official inauguration by Vice Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Arcandra Tahar.

Arcandra said in a statement Friday that the fuel storage facility, with capacity of 730,000 kilo liters, will help improve the country?s fuel oil operational reserves by another three-days of supply.

Previously, the country?s fuel oil operational reserves was only 21-day of supply, with storage facilities owned entirely by state-owned oil and gas firm PT Pertamina, according to downstream oil and gas authority BPH Migas.

Arcandra hopes other investors to develop more fuel storage facilities at home as part of efforts to improve national fuel security.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak