Pertamina trying to resume Balongan RCC unit production

State-owned oil and gas company Pertamina said on Friday that it is restarting the operation of the residue catalytic cracking unit (RCC) of its Balongan refinery in Indramayu, West Java.

Pertamina?s spokesman Wisnuntoro told Petromindo.Com that the RCC unit was expected to resume production on May 27 this year.

Pertamina has halted liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) production at the refinery since May 9 due to a technical problem at the RCC unit.

The RCC unit normally produces about 1,300 tons of LPG a day, about 650 tons of which are supplied to Jakarta, 250 tons to West Java and the remainders to Central Java.

The technical problem has also affected the plant's polypropylene production. But, it does not affect oil fuel production which reaches 1,200 tons a day.

Balongan has a capacity of processing 125,000 barrels per day of crude oil. The refinery accounts for about 10 percent of Pertamina's refining capacity. (godang)