Pertamina receives new fuel tanker

State owned oil and gas firm PT Pertamina has received a new oil fuel tanker that it has ordered from state owned shipyard PT PAL Indonesia.

The new vessel, called Pangkalan Brandan, of white oil tanker type, with a capacity of 17,500 long dead weight ton (LDWT), was built by PAL on Pertamina?s order at the cost of $24 million.

It is the second fuel tanker made by PAL for Pertamina and the sister ship of Pagerugan tanker, which was delivered to Petamina on Nov. 12, 2014, Petamina said in a statement on Thursday, adding the commissioning of the vessel was successfully conducted on Feb. 9-12, 2015.

The Pangkalan Brandan vessel is the 69th vessel owned by Pertamina. The firm currently operates around 200 vessels.

The new vessel will be used to transport oil fuels to and from Balongan, Tuban, Tanjung Wangi in Java as well as depots in Kalimantan and Sulawesi.

Until the end of this year, the firm will receive other vessels built in Indonesian shipyards. Two vessels called Pattimura and Parigi each with a capacity of 17,500 LDWT built by PT Anggrek Hitam in Batam is now entering the Cargo Oil Tank Coating phase. Another tanker called Pasaman (17,500 LDWT) is being built by PT Multi Ocean Shipyard in Karimun.

Editing by Johannes Simbolon