Pertamina to buy 26 tankers in next three years

State oil and gas company Pertamina plans to buy 26 tankers within the next three years to further boost the transportation capacity for the company?s crude oil and other fuel products and gas, the company?s spokesman said as reported by Investor Daily Saturday.

Pertamina?s Corporate Secretary Mochamad Harun said that the company would need abut US$370 million in fresh funds to buy the 26 tankers.

The procurement of the new tankers which would be carried out in three years until the end of 2015 is part of Pertamina?s shipping fleet expansion program, which has begun since 2009. In this program, Pertamina plans to buy 47 tankers of different types and sizes for the transportation of crude oil, refined fuel products, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and other forms of oil-based products.

21 tankers will be delivered this year, and the other 26 tankers would be bought between 2012 and 2015. ?This year, we will receive 21 units, and other two units in 2013 and one more in 2014,? he said, adding that the rest would be delivered by the end of 2015.

?Through this project, Pertamina is supporting the local shipbuilding industry, part of the tankers are built by domestic shipbuilding companies,? he said, adding that of the 26 tankers to be delivered this year, 8 tankers are built by local shipbuilding companies.

At present, Pertamina operates 173 tankers consisting of 153 tankers for the transportation of oil and 20 tankers for the transportation of gas. Pertamina only owns 41 of the tankers as the other 132 are leased from other parties.(*)