Indonesia: Pertalite fuel now sold at 97 gas pumps

Pertalite, a new type of RON (Octane Number) 90 fuel launched by state-owned oil company Pertamina, is now available at 97 gas stations in Kalimantan, according to Indonesian news portal tempo.co.

Twenty-three of these stations were inaugurated on October 27 in West Kalimantan. More Pertalite stations are set to be opened gradually this year as part of the plans to put up 160 gas pumps throughout Kalimantan by the end of 2015.

Pertalite may be unsubsidized and more expensive than Premium fuel but sales are expected to increase, according to Pertamina Marketing Director Ahmad Bambang.

"For those who have been using Premium, want to be more efficient and cheaper, pull taut and drove farther, use RON 90 (Pertalite)," said PT Pertamina External Relations Senior Supervisor Titi Lestari Andar in a separate report by antarakalsel.com.

More than 9 percent of Premium fuel consumers are now changing to Pertalite, which makes the fuel sales in Kalimantan promising.

Throughout Indonesia, 160 million liters of Pertalite have already been sold in 1,453 gas stations present in more than 22 cities.

“We are optimistic that Pertalite will be available at 1,500 outlets by the year end,” said Pertamina Vice President for Corporate Communication Wianda Pusponegoro in a company press release.