VP: LPG SUPPLIES TO RETURN TO NORMAL SOON

Jakarta, Dec. 13 (ANTARA) - Vice President M Jusuf Kalla has given the assurance that LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) supplies in the country will return to normal within the next few days after they had been disrupted for some time.

The disruption had occurred due to technical problems at Pertamina's Balongan and Cilacap refineries, he said.
"The point is, if one of the refineries is in operation, either the one in Cilacap or in Indramayu (Balongan), our supply will be adequate, especially when both are working. The Indramayu refinery will run normally again within the next two days," Kalla said here on Friday.
LPG shortages had also happened due to high public demand for the fuel, he said.
The high demand meant that the government's kerosene-to-LPG conversion program was welcomed by the public, he said.
The vice president said he had instructed state oil company PT Pertamina to prepare adequate LPG supplies.
He said at present there were only 50 LPG filling stations in the country while ideally it should be 200 stations.
Meanwhile, PT Pertamina said recently that it would import one million tons of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) per annum in the 2009-2019 period in order to meet domestic need for the commodity.
In 2009, domestic LPG consumption was estimated at 3-3.3 million tons or up from 2.2 million tons this year.