E. Java to have tanker port

E. Java to have tanker port

JAKARTA (JP): Prominent businessman Probosutedjo plans to construct an oil tanker port at the northern coastal area of Gending in Probolinggo, East Java, a report said.

"The planned port will be designed to accommodate large-scale tankers carrying processed oil and fuel from an oil refinery which will be built by PT Buana Ganda Perkasa," Probosutedjo was quoted by Antara news agency as saying in Probolinggo yesterday.

The planned refinery is one of six export-oriented oil refinery projects, whose licenses were approved by the Investment Coordinating Board last year.

Probosutedjo did not elaborate on details of the investment for the port, but said that the combined investments of the refinery and port will reach about US$3.5 billion.

The planned port, to be located on a 100-hectare mangrove area in the Gending district, is expected to start operating by 1998 to support the shipment of oil products from the refinery, which is also expected to be on stream in the same year, he said.

The refinery, which will get financial support from investors in the United States, Canada, Saudi Arabia and Hong Kong, will have a processing capacity of 300,000 barrels of crude oil per day, he said.

It will produce kerosene, automotive diesel oil, industrial diesel oil, aviation gas, propylene and gasoline, he added. (fhp)