Pertamina?s Cilacap I refinery operates at 75 percent capacity on crude shortage

State oil and gas company said Tuesday its Cilacap refinery unit that processes Middle East Light Crude in Central Java is currently running only at 75 percent capacity due to lack of crude supply.

Pertamina?s downstream director Muchsin Bahar said that the supply shortage was because it only received 1.6 million barrels of Iraq?s Basra light out of the 4.8 million barrels Pertamina had ordered. Last month Iraq had temporarily halted its crude export as a protest of Israel?s attack on Palestine.

Cilacap?s CDU unit known as Cilacap I processes 118,000 BPD of Middle East Light Crude

?We?re now struggling to secure two shipments of 1.6 million barrels each to replace Iraq?s Basrah Light,? said Muchsin. He added that Pertamina had secured some of its Arabian Light Crude requirement from Saudi?s Aramco but still searching for more.

Indonesia has nine refineries that are located in Sumatra, Java, East kalimantan and Papua with combined installed capacity of 1,06 million barrels per day.

Cilacap is the biggest refinery with total installed capacity of processing 348,000 BPD of crude. (alex/godang)