Indonesia's Pertamina runs Balongan RFCC at 70% on tech woes

15 March 2011 08:22  [Source: ICIS news]

SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Indonesia’s refinery operator Pertamina is running its residual fluid catalytic cracker (RFCC) in Balongan at around 70% this month due to mechanical problems, a source close to the company said on Tuesday.

He did not know when the facility would be able to resume full production.

As a result, the company had only around eight propylene shipments for sale this month compared with the usual 10 cargoes.

Pertamina would be allocating the March propylene parcels to the domestic market following a failed tender to sell three 1,500-tonne cargoes last week, he said.

No bids from traders had surfaced partly due to tight vessel availability, he added.

Separately, Pertamina is expected to start up a metathesis unit at Balongan in mid-April.

The facility will be able to produce around 178,000 tonnes/year of propylene and the company is targeting to run the plant at an operating rate of 70% in May, he said.

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By: Peh Soo Hwee
+65 6780 4359

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