Pertamina targets to operate 44 Vi-Gas stations this year

State owned oil and gas firm PT Pertamina is targeting to increase the number of its Vi-Gas stations to 44 by the end of this year, up from 18 at present, as part of its supports to the government?s program of encouraging motorists to convert from oil fuels to gas.

This was said by Basuki Trikora Putra, Vice President of Domestic Gas at Petamina?s Marketing Directorate in a workshop in Jakarta on Friday, the firm said in a statement.

Trikora said at present Pertamina operates a total of 18 Vi-Gas stations which are integrated with the existing gas stations owned by the firm and private companies in several areas, including 11 in Greater Jakarta (Jabodetabek), three in Bali and one in each Bandung, Semarang, Yogyakarta and Surabaya. Besides, there are eight Vi-Gas stations in Jabodetabek which are now in revitalization and commissioning stages, which are expected to be completed this year.

A total of 18 new Vi-Gas facilities will be built in several towns of Java this year, including 14 in western part of Java (seven of them at rest areas of toll roads), two in Central Java and two in East Java.

?We are convinced that the more Vi-Gas stations integrated with the existing gas stations, the closer they are to customers. This will attract consumers, particularly public transportation, to convert from oil fuels to Vi-Gas,? Trikora said.

Pertamina?s Vice President of Corporate Communication Ali Mundakir said Pertamina is serious in promoting the utilization of gas as an alternative to oil fuels in transportation sector. The gas is sold in three forms, namely Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Liquefied Gas for Vehicles (LGV). The firm sells its CNG under the brand of Envogas, while the LGV under the brand of Vi-Gas.

With regards LNG, the firm is still in trial operation to sell the fuel to transportation sector, he said.

According to him, the consumption of Envogas and Vi-Gas is still very small at present, equal to 0.1 percent of the total consumption of subsidized oil fuels. But, thanks to the increase in the number of stations that sell the fuels, the consumption of both fuels is projected to increase to 2.5 million kiloliters of Premium gasoline equivalent per year starting five years from now, he said.

CNG is natural gas compressed into cylinder, while LGV is a derivative product of oil refinery, composed of butane and methane.

Editing by Johannes Simbolon