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)