Jakarta Globe, Faisal Maliki Baskoro | July 30, 2010
PTPertamina, the state oil and gas company, is facing renewed pressure toinvestigate the quality of its fuel after a non-governmental organizationperformed tests, allegedly finding impurities, water and mud. (SP Photo)
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Jakarta. PT Pertamina’s Premium fuel distributed inGreater Jakarta is contaminated with substances that have led to the breakdownsof thousands of cars, particularly taxis, according to a study from anon-governmental organization that advocates for clean fuel.
“Basedon our research, Pertamina’s Premium fuel in the city may contain zinc, ferrumas well as other sediments such as water and mud,” Ahmad Safrudin, chairman ofthe Committee Against Leaded Gasoline (KPBB), said on Friday.
The KPBBsurveyed 20 auto repair shops in Greater Jakarta and found that seven of themhad received complaints of fuel pumps damaged by those substances, he said.
“Zinccoating in Pertamina storage depots may have peeled off and mixed with thefuel,” he said. “Lack of tank cleaning and maintenance of the storage areas mayhave been the cause for those substances to become mixed with the fuel.”
He urgedPertamina and the government to immediately explain to the public what waswrong with Premium fuel, instead of insisting that the state energy company wasnot at fault.
Pertaminaspokesman Basuki Trikora Putra questioned KPBB’s research, calling theaccusations baseless and saying the organization’s test results were invalid.
“Thedirectorate general of oil and gas in cooperation with downstream oil and gasregulator BPH Migas are investigating this issue. The investigation isindependent and the result will be the official result,” he said.
Basukisaid Pertamina had carried out upkeep of its storage tanks and distribution offuel in accordance with the company’s standard operating procedures.
“We haveroutine maintenance in our storage depots and refineries,” he said.
“Ourfuel has been certified and quality checked. All of this was documented byPertamina and the government.”
The fuelpump flap began when Jakarta’s biggest taxi company, Blue Bird Group, said1,200 of its taxis had been affected by impurities in Pertamina’s Premium fuel.
TheExpress taxi company and Gamya Taxi Group have noted the same problems in itsToyotas and Nissans.
Theproblem is also affecting auto manufacturer Hyundai, which along with Toyotasaid it was struggling to meet a sudden surge in demand for fuel pumps.
Gamya onWednesday threatened to drop Pertamina as its fuel distributor and switch toShell, a pricier option.
Thecompany said it had suffered Rp 500 million ($56,000) in losses over the pastmonth due to repair costs and lost revenue after fuel pumps malfunctioned on270 of the company’s vehicles.
MintarsihLatif, Gamya’s president director, said that independent tests conducted inThailand at the behest of an automotive distributor found that the sulfurcontent in Pertamina’s Premium gasoline exceeded normal levels for the fuel.
Lastweek, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources also launched aninvestigation of four Pertamina gas stations in Greater Jakarta, but found thepremium fuel met government specifications.
Anotherprobe by the Civil Servant Investigators office (PPNS) carried out earlier thisweek on four gas stations had yet to announce its result.
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