Pertamina plans to upgrade refineries

State-owned oil and gas firm PT Pertamina will expand and upgrade refineries by 2010 in a bid to reduce fuel imports and increase profit, company president director Arie Soemarno said Wednesday.

?We are still doing the calculations on the expansion,? Ari said, adding that Pertamina is aiming to produce more profitable products such as diesel and gasoline.

Ari said the Cilacap and Balikpapan refineries will be modified so they can increase their output, while the capacity of the Balongan refinery will be increased.

According to Ari, Balongan?s oil processing capacity could be expanded up to 400,000 barrels a day from the current 125,000 barrels of oil a day. (godang)