Indonesia's Pertamina to invest in gas fuel business

Indonesia's state-run oil and gas company PT Pertamina will invest 7.5 billion rupiah (7.5 million U. S. dollars) to revitalize the gas fuel business in seven locations in the greater Jakarta, a report said Saturday.

A Pertamina spokesman said the revitalization of the gas fuel business was to anticipate energy diversification and "blue sky" ( fresh air) programs declared by the government on May 20, 2006.

Moreover, the government also planned to launch 4,000 converter kits for public transportation which will use gas fuel, so that it will reopen Pertamina's opportunity in the gas fuel business, reported the Antara news agency.

The number of gas-fired cars is very small in the country, making the business unable to develop properly.

Pertamina has been selling automotive gas since Feb. 1, 2006, at around 30 cent per liter, said Pertamina spokesman Toharso, adding the company would revitalize seven gas fuel pumping stations in the greater Jakarta.

"The program is scheduled for completion by the end of 2006. Besides those of Pertamina, there are three other fuel gas stations operated by private companies," he said.

According to him, the capacity of the fuel gas stations would be raised from 11,280 cubic meters per hour to 15,780 cubic meters, an increase by 41 percent.

He said that the company had never received complaints from the consumers in its 20 years of running this business.

Source: Xinhua