Jakarta (ANTARA) - State-run oil company PT Pertamina stated that the fire incident at Plant 5, one of the units in the Balikpapan Refinery area, did not affect fuel supply for the community.
"We will optimize the stock contained in the tank. However, we are also preparing plans for additional product raw materials to replace the need for HOMC components from Plant 5 that are needed to produce fuel," Communication, Relations, and CSR Area Manager at Balikpapan Refinery, Ely Chandra, noted in a press statement on Monday.
Pertamina guarantees that the fuel stock at the Balikpapan Refinery is still sufficient to meet the supply needs to the fuel terminal in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan.
The Pertamina International refinery will use Pertamina Patra Niaga's components taken from the Tanjung Uban Fuel Terminal. High Octane Mogas Component (HOMC) is a component needed to produce high octane fuel, such as Pertamax.
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Chandra remarked that fuel production and supply for the community can still run normally without any problems. In fact, Pertamina has, in coordination with the Pertamina Group, readied a supply transfer scenario to anticipate and ensure the fulfillment of the people's fuel needs.
Currently, the company's internal officers continue to make efforts to restore refinery operations to ensure that Plant 5 can immediately return to maximum operation, including making production arrangements in other units in the refinery, so that they can produce optimally.
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"The repair of Plant 5 is scheduled to be completed in the next seven days. We ensure that fuel production can continue to run safely," Chandra remarked.
On May 15, 2022, at around 10:30 local time, an explosion occurred at the Pertamina Refinery in Balikpapan. The explosion was heard up to two kilometers from the facility.
Chandra explained that the explosion came from the Plant 5 Unit Hydro Skimming Complex used for preparing raw materials for gasoline products, such as Pertalite and Pertamax.
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