Makassar LPG supply safe for now, says Pertamina

Andi Hajramurni ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Makassar   |  Mon, 06/15/2009 1:50 PM  |  The Archipelago

A fire that razed a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) plant in Makassar on Saturday, cost the state-owned gas and oil company Pertamina up to Rp 15 billion (about US$1.5 million) in losses, the company reports

Despite the losses, local LPG stocks were secure "for the next four days," Pertamina retail region VII external relations officer Rosina Nurdin said Sunday. The company had distributed 924 metric tons of LPG to the three existing LPG filling stations in Makassar before the blast took place, Rosina said.

After the fire, there were still 1,000 metric tons of LPG at a reservoir plant at the depot filling plant, she said.

"We also have a stock of 36,000 LPG canisters containing 3 kilograms of gas each. The public only use 2,000 of these canisters per day, while for 12 kilogram canisters the supply could be taken from one of the three stations. So for the next several days the distribution of LPG would still run smoothly."

Separately, Pertamina communications vice president Basuki Trikora Putra said the fire destroyed 500 metric tons of LPG. "We can salvage 2000 tons of LPG from the depot," Basuki said in Bekasi, West Java, on Sunday.

Distribution was disrupted on Sunday. "But we will speed up the distribution process," he said, adding that Pertamina had already assigned a technical team to prepare steps to overcome any problems resulting from the damage.

"The team would not take long time to decide what steps to take, since any delays would disrupt distribution, Basuki said.

Rosina said the Makassar blast had damaged two filling sheds and other equipment including four LPG trucks belonging to Pertamina partner companies. "After compiling an inventory of the damaged equipment, we have estimated the total losses to have reached Rp 15 billion," Rosina said.

To prevent an LPG shortage, the company would install temporary equipment to transfer gas to trucks, she said. "So, the distribution of gas to the three stations can continue."

One of the three LPG filling stations is owned by Pertamina, the others by Pertamina partner companies PT PAS and PT Yudha Guna Tirta Sari Makassar.

Pertamina has yet to determine the cause of the blast, but was waiting for results of forensic tests conducted by a team deployed Sunday from the National Police headquarters' laboratory for the South Sulawesi region.

"We have left the investigations to the police. The police team is now on the scene. Hopefully, they can complete their investigations quickly, so we can repair the damaged equipment," Rosina said.

Besides destroying equipment, the fire also killed one LPG truck driver identified as Najamudin, 40, and injured three others.

Najamudin was buried in his hometown of Cikoang, South Sulawesi, on Sunday, while the three injured victims were being treated at a hospital in Makassar.

Copyright © 2008 The Jakarta Post - PT Bina Media Tenggara. All Rights Reserved.