Indonesia’s state-owned energy company Pertamina said it has redirected fuel supplies to parts of Sumatra following a fire at its Dumai refinery. The incident, which occurred late last Wednesday, was brought under control without injuries or reported supply interruptions, according to a company official.
The refinery is one of Indonesia’s key fuel processing facilities, and its temporary disruption underscores the country’s dependence on its domestic refining network to maintain steady fuel distribution.
Company sources told Lube Report that the fire didn’t involve the base oil unit and would not impact Group III supply.
“The fire was promptly extinguished on the same night and the cause of the fire is currently under investigation,” Gilbert Kim, SK Enmove’s global media spokesperson, told Lube Report. “Regarding the effect on base oil supply, base oil manufacturing facility at the Dumai plant will undergo unplanned shutdown for approximately one month during October.”
Base oil supply for term customers remains undisrupted at the moment, Kim said.
Pertamina said operations at the Dumai facility, which can process up to 170,000 barrels of crude oil per day, were halted as a safety measure. Supply to nearby regions, including gasoil for northern Sumatra, remains stable. Other Pertamina refineries are rerouting gasoil and jet fuel to areas typically served by Dumai to ensure consistent distribution. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
“With the support of other refineries across Indonesia, we’d like to give our assurance that there have been no supply disturbances for the people,” Pertamina spokesperson Agustiawan said. “Stock and distribution of fuel remain at a safe level.”
Pertamina said the Dumai refinery is the company’s third-largest facility and plays a significant role in supplying western Indonesia. The company added that it continues to coordinate with local authorities while assessing the extent of the operational impact and the timeline for resuming full production.
Kilang Pertamina Internasional, the refining and petrochemicals division of Indonesia’s state-owned energy company Pertamina, acquired a stake in base oil producer Patra SK from South Korea’s SK Enmove in August.
(This article was updated to include comments from SK Enmove.)