Pertamina withdraws faulty LPG cylinders

State-owned oil and gas company PT Pertamina has withdrawn up to 25,000 faulty 3-kilogram LPG cylinders from agents across Bali.

The company’s Denpasar branch said the withdrawal of the cylinders was part of efforts to maintain its service quality and to prevent accidents.

Around 17,000 of the cylinders withdrawn did not meet Indonesian National Standards (SNI), Pertamina Bali and Nusa Tenggara sales chief Totok Sugiharto said. However, the remaining 8,000 were certified, he said.

Sugiharto said the company had targeted cylinders that did not have the official SNI stamp.

“The withdrawal of low-quality gas cylinders has been a regular activity to ensure the safety and security of gas cylinders that are distributed to the local market,” he said.

He said there were a large number of gas cylinders that were not SNI-certified.

Sugiharto added that the consumption of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) for household use had increased sharply since the government launched its kerosene-LPG conversion program.

So far, Pertamina has distributed 780,000 stoves and 3 kg LPG cylinders in Bali.

Every month LPG stations in Bali use between 180 and 200 tons of LPG to refill 3-kilogram cylinders and 150 tons for 12-kilogram cylinders.

Pertamina is working with the Bali Trade and Industry Agency to monitor the prices charged for gas refills during Ramadan.

“The cost to refill a 3-kilogram cylinder has increased from Rp 12,500 to Rp 13,500,” he said.

During Ramadan, the consumption of LPG will likely increase by around 30 tons to around 380 tons a month, he said.

Pertamina region V general marketing manager said household and industrial consumption of LPG had been increasing steadily.

Pertamina, he said, planned to construct an LPG storage facility near Benoa port, to meet Bali’s demand for LPG supplies.

— JP/Wasti Atmodjo