Pertamina receives delivery of two new vessels

State-owned oil and gas company PT Pertamina received symbolically on Sunday the delivery of two new own vessels called MT Sanana and MT Serui, each with capacity of 40,000 long ton dead weight (LTDW), in a ceremony attended by company President Director Dwi Soetjipto and State Minister of State Owned Enterprises Rini Soemarno.

Pertamina said in a statement that the two ?eco-ship? vessels, developed by China?s New Times Shipbuilding Co. Ltd at a combined cost of US$62 million, are expected to arrive in Indonesia end of March, and start operation end April, transporting crude to Pertamina?s refineries. Earlier in January, Pertamina received the delivery of similar vessel called MT Sanggau. MT Sanana, MT Serui and MT Sanggau are named after Pertamina fuel terminals in Maluku, Papua and West Kalimantan, respectively.

The delivery of the two new vessels increases Pertamina?s own vessels to 68 out of the total 273 vessels operated by the company.

MT Sanana and MT Serui each has the capacity to transport up to 315,000 barrels of crude, larger than the capacity of regular vessels with similar tonnage at 200,000 barrels.

Pertamina?s Dwi said that the two new vessels use environmentally friendly materials in their construction, and are more fuel efficient that conventional regulator vessels, thus bode well for the company?s efficiency efforts.

Elsewhere, Pertamina said that by end of this year, the company aims to increase own vessels to 74 units, 34 of which developed by local ship yards (30 have started operation, and another four still under construction).

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak