Pertamina tenders to buy 2.68 million barrels oil products for Jan

State oil and gas company, Pertamina, has tendered to buy 2.68 million barrels of refined products for January in a tender closing Dec. 3, an official from Pertamina Energy Trading Limited (Petral), Pertamina's trading affiliate, said Friday as reported by Dow Jones.

Pertamina's January tender requirements are about 30 percent lower than the 3.91 million barrels Pertamina bought via its December tender and a subsequent supplementary gasoil and jet tender.

In the latest tender, Pertamina is seeking 1.2 million barrels of gasoil, 600,000 barrels of kerosene, three 220,000- barrels of 88 RON gasoline cargoes, two 110,000- barrels 92 RON gasoline cargoes.

The tender didn't call for any fuel oil cargoes, although this was expected, said the Petral official.

High Singapore prices and ample domestic stocks were cited as factors prompting Pertamina to forego buying spot fuel oil, at least for the time being.

The January requirements reflect a slight increase in Pertamina's spot gasoline purchase from the 650,000 barrels purchased from Malaysia's Petronas via the December tender.

Rumors of private negotiations for additional cargoes in December were dismissed as Pertamina receives around 600,000 bbl of low octane gasoline each month from existing term agreements with three suppliers. (*)