Pertamina to soon operate giant LPG tanker

State owned oil and gas firm PT Pertamina will soon operate a giant gas tanker to support the distribution of LPG in the country.

The so-called ?Very Large Gas Carrier? (VLGC), named Pertamina 1 Gas Carrier, built by South Korean firm Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd. in Ulsan, will be the 57th tanker owned by the state firm, which now operates a total of 187 own and leased vessels to distribute fuels across the country, Pertamina said in a statement.

The tanker is scheduled to be officially delivered to Pertamina on September 23, 2013.

The contract on the construction of the giant carrier was signed on Jan. 26, 2012 with an investment worth US$76 million. Under the contract, the vessel must be delivered by Feb. 6, 2014. The construction of the carrier, which measures 226 meters in length (twice the length of a soccer field) has passed through three milestones, namely first steel cutting on Nov. 19, 2012, keel laying on Dec. 20, 2012, and launching on June 28, 2013.

Commissioning or sea trial ran successfully on Aug. 15-18, 2013.

?The shipyard has confirmed that the vessel can be handed over on Sept. 23, 2013, five months earlier than schedule,? the firm said.

The Pertamina 1 Gas Carrier, which has the capacity of 84,000 cubic meters, will be used especially to supply and distribute LPG across the country with Tanjung Uban and Bontang as loading ports. It will also be used as a mothership in Kalbut, Situbondo.

The firm also said it would in the near future receive several vessels made in the domestic shipyards. The vessels include a 6,500 LTDW (KASIM) which is being built by PT Dok & Perkapalan in Surabaya; a 3,500 LTDW (MERAUKE) which is being built by PT Dumas Tanjung Perak, Surabaya; and a 17.500 LTDW tanker (PAGERUNGAN) which is being built by PT. PAL Indonesia.

Editing by Johannes Simbolon