Pertamina to build 50 new gas stations this year

State-owned oil and gas firm PT Pertamina said Friday that it would build 50 new company-owned and operated gas stations (COCO) in several regions in Indonesia in 2009 to meet subsidized fuels need.

Pertamina?s Vice President of Retail Fuels Marketing Denni Wisnuwardani said in Jakarta Friday that several of the planned 50 gas stations were under construction, such as those located in Jakarta and in Magelang, Central Java, Semarang, also in Central Java and in Padang, West Sumatra. ?We hope that construction of all (the planned 50 gas stations) will be completed this year,? he said.

Denni explained further that it would cost Pertamina around Rp 2 billion (US$ = Rp 11,833) to build a standard gas station with an office and a storage tank that has a capacity of 10 tons of fuels per day. "The investment excluding the fund spent on land," Denni said

Data at Pertamina per 2008 shows that of the company?s total 4,434 gas stations, 31 are owned by the company (COCO), 31 with a status of Company Own Dealer Operate (CODO), 125 owned by CODO Lite and 4,247 with a status of Dealer Own Dealer Operate (DODO). (*)