Undamaged Vehicle Engine, Former Pertamina Official Affirms Blending Fuel According To Procedures

JAKARTA - Former Director of Engineering and Land Infrastructure of PT Pertamina Patra Niaga, Edward Adolf Kawi, stated that the process of mixing fuel oil (BBM) or blending carried out by PT Pertamina (Persero) according to the procedure. Vehicle engines will certainly not be damaged because quality standards are maintained.

This was conveyed by Edward when testifying in the trial of the alleged corruption case in the management of crude oil and refinery products of PT Pertamina at the Jakarta Corruption Court today, November 10. At that time, he answered questions from the defendant as the beneficial owner of PT Tank Merak and PT OTM, Muhammad Kerry Adrianto Riza.

"Maybe Mr. Edward can calm the public down, the term oplosan is said to be fuel destroying the car. As far as Pak Edward is concerned, is there an oplosan that does not match the specifications so that it damages cars and motorbikes," Kerry asked.

"If what is done is done at the Patra Niaga terminal, both owned and leased, we have carried out a quality control procedure, nothing. We guarantee (not destroying cars and motorbikes, ed)," said Edward.

Edward also received questions from the Chief Justice Fajar Kusuma Aji regarding blending. He then answered that this process was a mixture of two different elements.

Not satisfied, Judge Fajar asked when Pertamina made a blunder. Edward then answered that this process occurred in 2007 by mixing diesel with FAME (Fatty Acid Methyl Ester) which came from crude palm oil (CPO) into biosolar.

"In the past, the mixture was 2.5 percent, now it is 40 percent, and next year the plan is to be 50 percent," he said.

As for gasoline fuel, Edward explained that the blending study began in 2015 by mixing low-octane gasoline RON 88 with RON 92. This mixing resulted in Pertalite with RON 90.

The highest RON 98, namely Pertamax Turbo, is pure. There is currently only RON 95 because there is ethanol. The Blending is Pertamax 92 plus Pertamax Turbo 98 and ethanol," he explained.

As previously reported, the Public Prosecutor (JPU) of the Attorney General's Office charged Muhammad Kerry Adrianto Riza and two other defendants for causing state financial losses which were estimated at IDR 285.1 trillion.

In the indictment, the prosecutor detailed a number of actions that were considered detrimental to the state. One of them is related to the cooperation in renting the Merak BBM Terminal between companies affiliated with Kerry, namely PT Jenggala Maritime and PT Orbit Terminal Merak (OTM).

The prosecutor said that the Merak BBM Terminal rental cooperation was carried out with PT Pertamina Patra Niaga even though at that time an additional fuel terminal had not been needed. The value of the loss from this cooperation is estimated at IDR 2.9 trillion.