Balongan refinery shut down

JAKARTA (JP): State oil and gas company Pertamina said on Thursday its Balongan refinery in West Java had been shut down on Tuesday for ten days of maintenance.

"There were some problems that prevented the refinery from operating at full capacity. But the maintenance works are minor in nature," Pertamina's spokesman Toto Suparto said.

Toto said the shutdown would not affect fuel supplies to Jakarta and neighboring areas since Pertamina had enough stock.

The Balongan refinery, which has the processing capacity of 125,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil, is the main supplier of fuel for Jakarta and neighboring areas.

The refinery has been shut down several times since it started operation in 1995, because, according to experts, it was fitted with substandard equipment. (jsk)