PERTAMINA PLEDGES TROUBLE-FREE CRUDE REFINING ACTIVITY IN 2009

Jakarta, Jun 25 (ANTARA) - An official of state-run oil company PT Pertamina has promised that none of the company's refineries would have a malfunction or undergo an unscheduled maintenance operation in 2009.

The promise was made by Pertamina's director of processing, Rukmi Hadihartini, in a hearing with the House of Representatives (DPR)'s Commission VII here Wednesday.

Hadihartini said she could make the promise because Pertamina had been implementing a program to improve its crude processing performance since late 2007.

"The program aims to increase efficiency and reduce energy consumption in our refineries. We will do our utmost to see to it that no refinery will again have to undergo an unscheduled maintenance operation," she said.

Any refinery maintenance work in 2009 would be done in accordance with a predetermined schedule, she added.

"According to our schedule, we will carry out a comprehensive maintenance job on the Balongan refinery in October-November 2008," Hadihartini said.

In late 2007, Pertamina had completed the first phase of its performance improvement program at its Balongan refinery in Indramayu district, West Java, she said.

The second phase of the program was being implemented in 2008 and cover Pertamina's refineries in Cilacap (Central Java), Balikpapan (East Kalimantan) and Dumai (Riau).

"In 2009, (the program) will be continued on the Balongan refinery and the Plaju refinery in South Sumatra," she said.

Shell was providing technical assistance and McKinsey consultancy services for the program, the Pertamina executive said.