Saudi Aramco Receives Green Light to Invest in Pertamina

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta-The government is giving a positive signal to Saudi Aramco, a Saudi Arabian oil and gas company, to invest in the downstream sector.  Energy and Mineral Resource Minister Sudirman Said says Saudi Aramco can cooperate with PT Pertamina to build gas stations.  “If we don’t offer them intriguing terms and conditions, they will not be interested,” Sudirman said in his office on Monday, Oct 12.

Saudi Aramco’s plan to invest in the project was agreed upon President Joko Widodo’s visit to Saudi Arabia in early September.  Without the meeting, Pertamina has aleady been planning to partner-up with Aramco to develop a company via the Refinery Development Masterplan Program.

Aramco has requested to enter the gas station business for a while, but Pertamina has yet confirmed the continuation of such collaboration.  PT Pertamina CEO Dwi Soetjipto admits that the offer from Saudi Arabia is currently being discussed.

Saudi Aramco has long craved for the project of four new companies owned by Pertamina.  Besides Saudi Aramco, companies from Canada, China, Iraq, and Kuwait has also sent an officially letter stating their intentions to invest for the project.  The Saudi Arabian company is interested to invest in the storage, distribution, and fuel sales in gas stations.

ROBBY IRFANY