Pertamina Awaits Consent to Launch Pertalite

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Wianda Pusponegoro, a spokesperson with state-run oil and gas firm PT Pertamina, said the company could not yet launch the much-anticipated Pertalite gasoline.

“We are still awaiting permit from the Oil and Gas Directorate General,” she told Tempo on Sunday, May 3, 2015.

Wianda said Pertamina lodged the specification testing proposal for Pertalite at the directorate general last week, yet the results had yet to be announced.

“We hope the decision could be announced soon so we can make other preparations,” she said.

Wianda explained that Pertamina would carry out trial to find out market response after the announcement was made, and then pinpoint which gas stations where it would introduce Pertalite to the public.

“We will run comprehensive review as to which gas stations [for Pertalite’s introduction],” she said.

Wianda also hoped that selected gas stations would not scale back its supplies of other fuels, including Premium gasoline. “We don’t need to have many locations for the market trial, because we only want to check the market’s response,” she said.

Wianda, however, stopped short of revealing the locations of the gas stations. “We are still awaiting word from the Oil and Gas Directorate General,” she said.

Earlier, Pertamina marketing director Ahmad Bambang said Pertamina would distribute some 500 kiloliters of Pertalite a day for the initial stage. “Then we will increase it to 1,000 kiloliters per day,” he said. 

DEVY ERNIS