Pertamina dispatches VLGC to transport LPG from UAE

State-owned oil and gas firm PT Pertamina dispatched on Saturday its own Very Large Gas Carrier (VLGC) Pertamina Gas 2 to Ruwai, United Arab Emirates, for a maiden transport of LPG.

Pertamina Marketing Director Ahmad Bambang said in a statement over the weekend that the use of own vessel for LPG import and a switch from cost and freight import system to FOB basis is expected to allow the company to safe up to US$23 million per year in import cost.

This is part of efficiency measures taken by the company to help cope with the current drop in global oil price, he added.

Pertamina earlier dispatched the MT Gunung Geulis vessels for crude lifting in Algeria.

VLGC Pertamina Gas 2, which was received by Pertamina in mid of last year, is expected to arrive in Ruwais on February 24-25, and will transport about 22,000 metric tons of propane and 22,000 metric tons of butane. The vessel is scheduled to arrive in Teluk Semangka at the southern tip of Sumatra on March 7-9.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak