JAKARTA: PT Pertamina (Persero), the state-owned oil and gas company, plans to increase supply of its high-end fuel product, pertamax, to more than 200,000 kiloliter (kl) per day, as the government forces to limit the use of subsidized fuel in Jabodetabek area starting in January 2011. Vice President Corporate Communication Pertamina Mochamad Harun said that the company must ensure the availability of pertamax once the program limiting the use of subsidized fuel will commence next year. He mentioned that the average use of non-subsidized fuel (pertamax and pertamax plus) in Indonesia continues increasing. The sufficient supply of pertamax in public gas stations, according to him, is expected to meet the rising demand so the consumers will not swift to other producers. "If the program is applied, Pertamina will certainly secure future supply because the demand will certainly rise. Once the regulation takes effect, people will surely swift [to pertamax]," he said last weekend. He admitted that the use of premium, the subsidized fuel, in Java and Bali covers 60% of total national consumption, which is around 60,000 kl per day. Meanwhile, he added that in the Region III, which includes Jakarta, Banten, and West Java, consumption of premium may reach 20,000 kl per day. However, he said that pertamax consumption lately has been increasing since people are getting more aware to use better-quality fuel. He revealed that pertamax sales in May 2010 was 35,000 kl, but in October, it rached 79,000 kl. "It continued increasing in November, maybe with the same number. However, we predict that in December, the sales will decline slightly because of higher price." Given the situation, the state-owned oil and gas producer has no big concerns on the possibility that people may swift to other producers, such as Shell, Total and Petronas. Harun said that Pertamina's fuel is of high quality, better than the similar product offered by other producers. (t04/wiw)

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