Pertamina to import more Premium in Dec.

State oil and gas company PT Pertamina plans to import more oil products this month to meet higher demand especially for subsidized Premium gasoline and aviation turbine fuel (avtur) during the incoming holidays.

Demands for avtur and Premium gasoline are expected to increase by 5 percent and 7 percent respectively in December, Pertamina?s Vice President for Communications Basuki Trikora said in Jakarta on Monday.

He however did not specify the amount of the oil product imports.

He said Pertamina had started increasing its fuel stocks since November. Stocks of Premium and avtur are currently enough for 17 days. He said that Pertamina had also increased stocks od kerosene and diesel fuel as well as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to meet the expected increase in the demand.

In February 2009, speaking during a hearing with the House of Representatives, Pertamina?s Director of Marketing and Commerce Achmad Faisal said that the company would need to import about 55.5 million barrels of Premium gasoline because the local refineries would be able only to produce about 68.3 million barrels to meet the total demand which was projected to reach Rp 123.8 million barrels. (godang)