Pertamina orders three crude vessels from China

By Bernard Loebs

State owned oil and gas firm PT Pertamina has placed an order for three medium-range 40,000 LTDW crude vessels with New Times Shipbuilding (NTS). The contract was signed early last month in Shanghai.

It was the second order placed by Pertamina with the Chinese firm. NTS has built and delivered to Pertamina a long-range 85,000 LTDW vessel, which is named ?Gamkonora?.

The three vessels are scheduled to be delivered to Pertamina in 2016, in February for the first vessel, March for the second vessel and April for the third vessel. Investment to be paid by Pertamina for the construction of the three vessels totals US$91.494 million, according to Pertamina.

Pertamina?s Director of Marketing and Commerce Hanung Budya recently said Pertamina currently operates around 200 vessels, 30 percent of which belong to the firm. On the long term, the firm targets to increase the portion of its own vessels in its fleet to 50 percent.

Hanung expressed satisfaction over the performance of the Gamkonora vessel and wished to continue cooperation with NTS.

Editing by Johannes Simbolon