Pertamina to import LPG tubes abroad

Indonesian oil company PT Pertamina will start importing three-kilogram tubes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from Thailand early next year.

Chief of Pertamina's communication division Wisnuntoro said here on Monday that around 2 million LPG tubes would be imported from Thailand in January and February next year.

"Pertamina should have started importing the tubes this week but because of long holiday, it will be started early January 2008," Wisnuntoro said.

He pointed out that the import of two million LPG tubes was intended to meet the demand of kerosene conversion into liquefied petroleum gas in 2007 by 4.2 million units.

Wisnuntoro said Pertamina had decided to import three-kilogram tubes of LPG from Thailand because they were considered to fulfill the Indonesian National Standard (SNI).

Besides Thailand, he said Pertamina had also made a survey in two other countries, namely China and India.

He said Indonesia in 2007 demanded 10.2 million of LPG cylinders but the domestic producers were only able to produce around 6 million tubes.

Therefore he said the government permitted Pertamina to import from Thailand next month because the demand of LPG cylinder in 2008 would reach 23 million units.