Oil And Gas Practitioners Reveal Fuel Blending Key To Vehicle Engine Quality

Employees tested the octane fuel oil (BBM) using the 'Cooperative Fuel Research (CFR) engine' at Pertamina Laboratory at the Integrated Plumpang Terminal (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Inas Nasrullah Zubir's oil and gas (oil and gas) practitioner stated that the blending process is very important in ensuring that each type of fuel has quality and performance according to the set standards.

According to him, both Pertalite and Pertamax produced by Pertamina are the result of the blending process at the oil refinery.

"This ensures that the produced gasoline can meet consumer needs and support the optimal performance of vehicle engines," he said in his statement in Jakarta, Saturday.

Gasoline, also known as gasoline or gas (gasoline motorists), he continued, is a very important fuel for motorized vehicles.

The quality of gasoline, according to him, is determined by the Research Octane Number (RON), which measures the ability of fuel to withstand knockout, or lithic effects, which can interfere with engine performance.

In the international market, there are several publishing prices for gasoline, including MOPS/ARGUS gasoline RON 92, RON 95, RON 98, and RON 100. However, the gasoline RON 90 is only produced in Japan and Indonesia for the domestic market.

"In Indonesia, the market index price is determined based on the Decree of the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (Kepmen ESDM), which is 99.21 percent of the publication of the gasoline price of RON 92," he said.

Inas explained that gasoline or gasoline was obtained through a blending process between naphta and High Octane Motor Component (HOMC). Naphta, which results from petroleum distillation at the refinery, has an RON figure ranging from 60 to 80.

Therefore, an additional mixture is needed to increase the octane value (RON) to suit specific needs. For example, to produce gasoline RON 92, the naphta will be blended with HOMC 92.

Similarly, to produce gasoline RON 95, the blending process is carried out by combining naphta and HOMC 95. This process continues according to the specifications desired for various types of gasoline.

He said the production of the High Octane Motor Component (HOMC) involved several complex steps in the process of processing oil.

The processing of petroleum at refineries through distillation to separate oil components based on their boiling points, results in fractions such as naphta, kerosen, diesel, and fuel oil. The construction of HOMC includes catalytic reform, isomeration, and cracking processes.