PARTAMINA TO SELL 3.7 MILLION BARRELS OF DIESEL OIL

Jakarta, March 20 (ANTARA) - State-owned oil and gas company PT Pertamina has set itself the target of selling 600,000 kiloliters or 3.77 million barrels of diesel oil to domestic companies, a Pertamina official said.
Pertamina's director for marketing Hanung Budya said here on Friday that his company had up to now sold 186,000 kiloliters of diesel oil.
"There are five companies which bought diesel oil. Among them are Aneka Kimia Raya, Jagat Eenrgi, Petro Andalan and Petronas," he said.
Hanung added that the diesel oil sale was expected to keep Pertamina's diesel oil stocks at the normal level, namely enough for 25 days.
Pertamina tried to cut its increasing stock volumes by selling them to companies at home, while delaying the importation of the commodity.
Pertamina's diesel oil stocks piled up following the decline in the diesel oil consumption at home, particularly by power generators.
Recently, state-owned power utility company PLN was advised to switch from diesel oil to residue oil and increase use of coal and biofuel in an effort to save subsidy.
The government has asked PLN to save Rp10 trillion in subsidy funds in 2009, due to the fact that power consumption was declining, particularly that of industry, as a consequence of the global economic crisis.***2***