Supply of gas back to normal

Supply of gas back to normal

JAKARTA (JP): The long lines of motorists waiting for gasoline
at stations across the capital began to ease on Wednesday
evening.

Until midday, most gas stations in Greater Jakarta were out of
leaded fuel, locally known as premium, and unleaded gas, or
premix, forcing some stations to close temporarily.

But business at most gas stations in the city gradually
returned to normal by the evening.

According to state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina, the
fuel supply for the capital was sufficient after repairs were
made to the Balongan refinery in West Java.

"Since all the units at the Balongan refinery have resumed
operation, we can definitely guarantee a continuing fuel supply
to Jakarta," Pertamina spokesman Ramli Djaafar said in a media
statement on Wednesday.

At about 8 p.m. only five cars were at the gas station near
Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital on Jl. Diponegoro, Central Jakarta.

"Everything is okay now thanks to a fuel delivery from
Pertamina which arrived here at about 3 p.m.," Reiko, an
employee, told The Jakarta Post.

A staff member from Pertamina promised to send out more trucks
on Wednesday night, otherwise there could be problems again since
stock has run low, he added.

Many gas stations, including those on Jl. Sudirman, Jl.
Pejompongan and Jl. Hayam Wuruk, said their holding tanks were
dry earlier in the day.

Asep Sumarna, a manager of the gas station on Jl. Hayam Wuruk,
said the supply of premium was finished by 11 p.m.

"We got fuel from Plumpang (Pertamina's depot in North
Jakarta) at 5 a.m., but it was sold out within six hours.

"We don't know when the next supply will arrive," he said,
adding that there had been disturbances in fuel deliveries to his
station over the past week.

The fuel shortage in the morning caused motorists to find
other gas stations which were still selling leaded gas, resulting
in similar scenes of long lines from the previous day.

At the Semanggi gas station on Jl. Sudirman, two police
officers were directing the flow of traffic as vehicles were
lining up at the station from about 12 p.m.

Since the station had run out of premium, motorists had to
purchase premix, which costs Rp 1,500. It is Rp 500 higher than
leaded fuel.

"I have only five liters left, therefore I have no other
choice but to buy premix. Premium is finished here," said
Sudarto, an employee at PT Angkawijaya, a company which services
air conditioners.

Other gas stations, such as on Jl. Pejompongan and Jl.
Sudirman, had also run out of Super TT fuel, which is Rp 1,600
per liter -- the most expensive among the three types -- in the
morning.

Most lines at gas stations, including the two stations near
the Semanggi cloverleaf, the one on Jl. Pejompongan, Jl. K.S.
Tubun and Jl. Gatot Subroto, returned to normal later in the
evening.

Most gas station managers said fuel deliveries on Wednesday
were better than previous days, however, orders were still
shorted.

Murni, an attendant at the Petamburan station, said her gas
station had received additional gasoline from Pertamina.

"But officials at Plumpang can't give any assurances that the
supply will be normal," she said, adding the station might stay
open 24 hours.

"However, we decided to close earlier because the boys are
exhausted. Usually we are open until 10 p.m.," she added.

According to spokesman Ramli, the Balongan refinery has
undergone major repairs since June 20. It resumed operations
again at 9:06 p.m. on Tuesday.

The refinery supplies about 80 percent of Jakarta's fuel
demand.

According to Pertamina, it could not explain why Jakarta's
fuel consumption average of 7,200 kiloliters a day soared over
the past few days. The company recorded sales of 9,539 kiloliters
on last Friday.

As of 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Pertamina had delivered 4,768
kiloliters of premium to gas stations in Jakarta and its
surrounding area out of its order of 8,784 kiloliters.

The firm stated its supply of 2,300 kiloliters of premix would
be adequate to cover consumer demand in Jakarta for at least
three days.

Separately, Minister of Mines and Energy Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono said on Wednesday that Singapore would supply 400,000
barrels of premium and Malaysia would send 50,000 barrels to
Indonesia by the end of July.

Thailand, he said, had also promised to ship 600,000 barrels
of gasoline, 200,000 barrels of kerosene and 300,000 barrels of
diesel oil.

"But since Thailand needs more time to operate its refinery,
negotiations are still in process," he said following a Cabinet
meeting.

Bambang has recently returned from a trip to Singapore and
Malaysia to appeal for assistance in overcoming Indonesia's fuel
shortage.

At about midday, dozens of gas station attendants went to
Plumpang to watch the work being done at the distribution center.

"The company (Pertamina) told the public through the media not
to worry about a fuel shortage, but our station was short of
fuel," said Barminson Purba, an attendant.

Prasetyo, an attendant at the gas station on Jl. Lenteng Agung
in South Jakarta, said: "Don't hide the fact that there is a
shortage of fuel. We are afraid people will burn our stations,
accusing us of stockpiling fuel." (asa/bkm/prb/nvn/08)