Pertamina in talks to buy oil tankers

State oil company Pertamina said Friday it was in talks to buy oil tankers from China to replace its ageing fleet.

"We have told China we wish to buy tankers from them to improve our transportation of oil," Pertamina's president director Baihaki Hakim told reporters.

"Many of our tankers are getting old and they need to be replaced with new ones so we will continue discussing the details with China," Hakim said, without elaborating.

The Pertamina official said he had travelled with Mines and Energy Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro and other government officials to China earlier in the week to discuss ways of improving trade relations with Beijing, especially in the energy field.

Hakim gave no specifics but said one idea discussed was for a joint energy forum and this could be set up early next year.

"The forum will look at the energy needs of both countries and how to increase cooperation," he said.(*)