Indonesia’s Pertamina runs Balongan RFCC at 80-90% after restart

12 May 2011 07:16  [Source: ICIS news]

SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Indonesia’s state-owned refiner Pertamina is running its residual fluid catalytic cracker (RFCC) at Balongan in West Java at 80-90%, following a seven-day turnaround that started on 1 May, said a source close to the company on Thursday.

The RFCC, which can produce 250,000 tonnes/year of propylene (C3), resumed operations as scheduled on 7 May, the source said.

The producer remains in talks to resolve a prolonged dispute with polypropylene (PP) producer Polytama Propindo. Pertamina’s decision on whether to raise the RFCC operating rate to 100% depends on its ability to start supplying C3 to Polytama by June, the source said.

Pertamina has delayed the start-up of its 178,000 tonne/year C3 metathesis unit at the same site until the company reaches an outcome with Polytama, the source added.

The metathesis unit was initially slated to start up in April.

Polytama has been unable to run its PP plant in Balongan after the plant was debottlenecked at the end of August last year because Polytama could not obtain C3 supplies from Pertamina.No further details are available.

Polytama's PP capacity was increased to 380,000 tonnes/year from 270,000 tonnes/year, after an expansion in 2010.

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By: Peh Soo Hwee
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