Petronas' first Jakarta gas station awaiting launch

Petroliam Nasional Bhd's (Petronas) first petrol and service station in Jakarta is almost ready to start selling retail petrol to consumers in Indonesia, Business Times of Malaysia reported Thursday quoting an official with the national oil corporation.

"In fact, the station is already operating now. We are just waiting for the kiosk to be officially launched," the official told Business Times.

Petronas will open its first Indonesian petrol and service station in Cibubur, near Jakarta, this month and will spend about US$436 million to set up 457 stations in Indonesia by 2011.

"We will start opening up stations in Jakarta and later on in other parts of the republic. It will be done in stages," the official said.

Indonesia is opening its retail oil industry to competition after ending state-owned PT Pertamina's monopoly on fuel sales.

Besides Petronas, BP plc and Royal Dutch Shell plc have obtained licenses to sell fuel in Indonesia, while PetroChina Co and France's Total SA are seeking retail licenses.

Shell, Europe's second- largest oil company, opened its first station in Indonesia on November 2. (*)