Pertamina Ensures Quality of Indonesian Fuels, Here's How
PT Pertamina (Persero), through its subsidiary PT Pertamina Patra Niaga (PPN), is committed to prioritising customer satisfaction by producing high-quality fuel products, including petrol, diesel, and avtur. Before being released to the market, Pertamina Patra Niaga tightens the fuel production process, from refinery processing and laboratory testing to final delivery to consumers.
Corporate Secretary of Pertamina Patra Niaga, Roberth MV Dumatubun, stated that one of the efforts to maintain fuel quality from Pertamina’s refineries is the impurities management process. This process reduces impurities that are naturally present in crude oil. Impurities include substances such as sulphur, salt, naphthenic acid, nitrogen, and heavy metals like nickel, vanadium, and mercury.
“This process prevents these substances from contaminating the crude oil and hindering refinery performance, so that the quality of refinery products is maintained,” said Roberth. This makes impurities management vital for the operational sustainability of the downstream oil and gas industry and, most importantly, for maintaining public trust in the quality of fuel products produced by Pertamina Patra Niaga.
Roberth explained that there are three stages of impurities management at the six refineries operating under Pertamina Patra Niaga. The first is maintaining refinery operational flexibility through crude selection and blending using a Crude Acceptance Matrix (CAM), allowing high-impurity crude to be processed safely. The next stage involves pre-treatment and chemical treatment to reduce water, salt, sulphur, nitrogen, and metal content, supported by desalter technology, hydrotreating, and corrosion-inhibiting chemical injections. The final stage, asset integrity and reliability, ensures the refinery operates safely and sustainably with anti-corrosion materials, periodic inspections, and routine maintenance.
“The result of these three stages is high-quality and environmentally friendly fuel. Through impurities management, the refinery is able to produce Euro 4 standard fuels with lower sulphur content, such as Pertamax Turbo, Pertamax Green, and Pertamina Dex,” Roberth clarified in a press release on Monday (15/6/2026). The advantages of Euro 4 products include longer-lasting engines due to minimal corrosion, more economical fuel consumption because of more efficient combustion, and environmental friendliness. Lower emissions reduce air pollution, thereby also supporting public health.
“Impurities management not only maintains the reliability of the refineries operating under Pertamina Patra Niaga but also provides consumers with a more comfortable driving experience. This effort also serves as the foundation of the company’s commitment to maintaining a sustainable and prime-quality national energy supply,” Roberth concluded.