Fuel stock up, still below safe level<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati and Leony Aurora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
State oil and gas firm PT Pertamina found a little breathing room
\non Wednesday as pumps unloaded imported fuel from tankers,
\nslightly increasing domestic fuel stockpiles to 18 days supply,
\nfrom Monday's 17.5 days, but still below the safe 22-day reserve
\nlevel.<\/p>\n
Premium gasoline stocks rose to 14 days of reserves from a
\ncritical level of 12.7 days, while diesel fuel went up slightly
\nfrom 14.5 days to 15 days, Pertamina's fuel division head Achmad
\nFaisal said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\"There are three vessels in Semangka Bay (in Lampung) with
\nsome 1.8 million barrels of Premium and diesel fuels being
\nunloaded,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Some 200,000 barrels of Premium gasoline, imported from China,
\nhad also arrived in Jakarta, he said.<\/p>\n
\"When all of the fuel has been unloaded, the stocks will be
\nenough for 18 days reserves (nationwide),\" Faisal said. \"Premium
\nstocks in Jakarta are enough for seven days.\"<\/p>\n
He did not provide details on other areas.<\/p>\n
Motorists have been lining up in many gas stations in smaller
\ncities in Java and other islands during the past few days after
\nPertamina's lack of cash flow prevented it from importing
\nsufficient petroleum products into the country.<\/p>\n
The fuel shortage and the continuing high international cost
\nof oil has prompted Vice President Jusuf Kalla to announce that
\nthe government would soon draft a regulation to limit the public
\nuse of fuel and electricity.<\/p>\n
He said with the current high public consumption of fuel, the
\ngovernment might have to increase allocations for fuel subsidies
\nfrom the initial plan of some Rp 70 trillion (US$7.28 billion) to
\nabout Rp 110 trillion this year.<\/p>\n
\"The government can not afford to allocate more money for
\nsubsidies of fuel. Therefore, we will enforce limits on the use
\nof fuel by issuing a special regulation,\" Kalla said at his
\noffice.<\/p>\n
The regulation could include limits on the operation of
\nenergy-hungry air conditioners and restrictions on private car
\nuse to cut energy demand, as well as other cost-cutting measures
\nadopted by countries like Singapore, Malaysia and Japan, he said.<\/p>\n
Pertamina said that until May, Premium usage in the country
\nhad already exceeded its supply quota by 10 percent. \"Diesel fuel
\nhas surpassed its quota by 4 percent,\" Faisal said.<\/p>\n
When asked whether the government was likely to inject fresh
\ncapital into Pertamina to help revitalize the company, Kalla said
\nthat such a plan had never been considered, since the company
\nwould need some Rp 19 trillion to ensure its fuel stocks.<\/p>\n
\"There is no other way for Pertamina but to boost efficiency.
\nThe public should also start reducing their fuel and power
\nconsumption immediately,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Not only motorists, but also State electricity firm PT PLN has
\nto wait in line to get diesel fuel for its power plants that
\nsupply the Java-Bali grid.<\/p>\n
Several areas in the two islands experienced blackouts on
\nMonday as the 840-megawatt Grati power plant in Pasuruan, East
\nJava, shut down temporarily due to the shortage.<\/p>\n
General manager of PLN's Java-Bali power distribution Center
\nMuljo Adji said that fuel supplies for Grati, the 1,000-MW Tambak
\nLorok power plant in Semarang and the 100-MW Gili Manuk power
\nplant in Bali for the following week had been secured.<\/p>\n
\"However, Muara Tawar power plant has only enough fuel to last
\nuntil Friday evening, while the tanker bringing the supply is
\nscheduled to arrive on Friday morning,\" he said, referring to the
\n840-MW power plant in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"If the vessel arrives late, we'll have to shut down the power
\nplant,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Despite its status as an oil producer, Indonesia has to import
\n300,000 barrels of crude oil a day and 400,000 barrels of fuel
\nproducts a day to meet increasing domestic demand.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/fuel-stock-up-still-below-safe-level-1447893297",
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