Un-leaded fuel product hiked
Un-leaded fuel product hiked
BANDUNG (JP): Greater environmental awareness and continued
anti-pollution campaigns have prompted an increasing demand for
unleaded fuel which already exceeds the current production level
of state-owned gas and oil company Pertamina.
Company officials are so hopeful of the continuing trend that
they anticipate an end in the demand of premium leaded fuel by
2003.
Speaking at a seminar on ozone here on Saturday, organized by
the National Institute of Technology, Zainal Abidin Thamrin, who
is in charge of PT Pertamina's product control, said that this
year alone demand for unleaded fuel is expected to reach 7.7
million kiloliters while only 6.6 million kiloliters of Ron 92
unleaded gasoline is scheduled to be produced.
Zainal said due to increasing trend in demand, in the future
they will produce Ron 88 Premium Unleaded to replace the current
premium leaded fuel.
To replace Premix, Pertamina plans to produce Ron 95 Super
Unleaded which has a higher octane level.
"We hope that eventually in 2003 demand for premium (leaded)
gasoline will be at zero," he explained.
"It will be replaced by unleaded gasoline Ron 88 Premium
Unleaded of which we will produce 5.3 million kiloliters," he
said estimating that the total amount of unleaded fuel produced
will be around 11.2 million.
Zainal revealed that preparations were already being made for
Premium Unleaded to be produced in all Pertamina refineries
across the country while Super Unleaded will be produced in the
Balongan refinery.
According to Zainal, estimates indicate that between 1999 and
2004 there will be an oversupply for Premium Unleaded, while on
the other hand Pertamina's production of Super Unleaded can only
supply about 73 percent of demand.
As a short term solution, Pertamina is calling on consumers to
use Premium Unleaded to satisfy the demand for the higher octane
unleaded fuel.
"However as of 2004 and onwards such a substitution method
will not meet the total (unleaded) gasoline demand," Zainal
remarked pointing out that Pertamina must increase the output of
its' refineries along with imports.
"We hope with the sale of the Ron 88 and Ron 95 unleaded
gasoline, the Blue Sky (environmental) program will be fruitful
as the combustion in the car's engine is cleaner and discharges
less harmful gases," said Zainal.(25/sur)