RFCC, TPPI operations enable Pertamina to cut import by 30%

State-owned oil and gas firm PT Pertamina is expected to start reducing import of premium oil fuel in November 2015 after the Residual Fluid Catalytic Cracking (RFCC) plant in Cilacap, Central Java, and the refinery of PT Trans Pacific Petroleum Indonesia (TPPI) in Tuban, East Java, begin operation.

The two plants can potentially increase Pertamina?s production of the premium gasoline by up to 91,000 barrels per day, consisting of 30,000 barrels per day from RFCC Cilacap, and 61,000 barrels per day from the TPPI plant in Tuban.

Pertamina?s Corporate Communication Vice President Wianda Pusponegoro said in a press release on Wednesday that the national fuel consumption now stands at 29.5 million kiloliters (kl) per year, of which around 17.1 million kl or 9 million barrels per month is imported.

?With the operations of RFCC and TPPI, Pertamina has the potential to cut import up to 91,000 barrels per day or around 33.21 million barrels per year. With the market price assumed at around US$ 60 per barrel, the import can be reduced by up to US$1.99 billion per year,? said Wianda.

She noted that the RFCC Cilacap has been in a final stage of commissioning, and it was expected to start commercial operation in the second week of October this year at the latest. ?The operation of the RFCC alone will cut import by up to 30,000 barrels per day or 10.95 million barrels per year, which is equivalent to 10 percent of total import,? she said.

She added that the refinery of TPPI Tuban would start commissioning at the end of September. Pertamina expected to start commercial operation of the TPPI soon after the operation of RFCC Cilacap, with an initial production capacity of premium oil fuel at around 20.000 barrels per day. The TPPI has the maximum production capacity of premium oil fuel up to 61,000 barrels per day or about 22.27 million barrels per year, which is equivalent to about 20 percent of total import until now.

Editing by Benget Besalicto ST