Pertamina appoints chief of top unit

Pertamina appoints chief of top unit

JAKARTA: PT Pertamina, Indonesia's state oil company, appointed Ari Soemarno as the new president of its oil trading unit, said Harry Poernomo, vice-president for downstream affairs at Pertamina.

Soemarno, whose appointment took effect yesterday, replaced Sungkono Wahju, said Harry in Jakarta on Thursday.

"It's just a normal reshuffle, part of a five-year cycle," Poernomo said. "The old management has worked for five years."

Soemarno is the older brother of Rini Soewandi, Indonesia's trade and industry minister. Soemarno previously worked in Pertamina's downstream oil department.

Other directors of the trading unit, Pertamina Energy Trading Ltd., were also replaced, Poernomo said, without giving details. The trading unit also has an office in Singapore. -- Bloomberg