Pertamina drops plan to export kerosene

State oil and gas company PT Pertamina said on Thursday that it has dropped its plan to export kerosene because there were no companies who were willing to buy the fuel at the prices offered by the firm.

Pertamina?s spokesperson Basuki Trikora Putra said that Pertamina would instead seek to sell the fuel on the domestic market.

Pertamina plans to export 1.2 million barrels of kerosene produced by its refineries as domestic demand for the fuel was dwindling due to success of the government-sponsored campaign for households to switch from heavily-subsidized kerosene to lightly-subsidized LPG.

The company needs a permit from the government to export kerosene and it had secured a 3-month export permit starting July 10.

Pertamina?s refineries also experienced a jet fuel production surplus. The firm exported 200,000 kiloliters of jet fuel on June 14 this year to Shell in order to reduce the surplus output.

Basuki said the firm had thus far no plans to export more jet fuel as it is focusing on meeting the demand of domestic market.

As of Sept. 10, Pertamina has a 41-day-consumption stock of jet fuel; a 43-day- stock of kerosene; a 19.5-day stock of Premium gasoline; a 24-day stock of diesel oil; a 24-day stock of Pertamax high octane gasoline; a 76-day stock of Pertamax Plus high octane gasoline. (godang)