The stockpile of diesel fuel in Jayapura, Papua, has dwindled in the past three days causing long queues of diesel-fueled vehicles at filling stations on Wednesday.
“Currently the stock is only 220 kiloliters [kl] which is equivalent to three days’ use. Hopefully a vessel carrying diesel fuel will dock at Jayapura tomorrow [Thursday] morning,” distribution manager of state oil and gas firm PT Pertamina’s Maluku and Papua region, Agus Dwi Jatmiko, told reporters on Wednesday.
He added that usually 50 to 70 kl of diesel fuel was sent daily to filling stations in Jayapura.
Agus revealed that the tanker Patriot Ceria was on its way to Jayapura carrying 3,500 kl of diesel and 1,000 kl of kerosene.
“The vessel is expected to arrive in Jayapura tomorrow [Thursday] morning at the latest,” he said.
“The next tanker arrival will be the Mojang carrying 4,000 kl of aviation fuel.”
Filling stations in Jayapura are forced to open their business in rotation.
The situation was made worse by tanker-truck drivers staging a sit-in demanding a wage increase.
Separately, Antara news wire reported that fuel shortages were also affecting Binjai mayoralty and Langkat regency in North Sumatra.
Residents in Langkat have not been able to buy premium gasoline and diesel for the past two days, forcing them to buy the fuel in Binjai or the provincial capital Medan.
Fuel station operators said the fuel was bought up by residents and resellers every time there was a new shipment. An operator, Semangat Sembiring, said that he had requested an additional shipment of 24 tons from Pertamina although it had yet to be granted.
“Pertamina is currently rationing each filling station. We will sell the fuel as soon as we receive it and will not hold on to it,” he said.
Meanwhile in Binjai, truck drivers carrying goods to Aceh were parking their vehicles at filling stations while waiting for diesel.
“We are forced to wait for the diesel shipment before heading to Aceh because we are afraid there will be no diesel available at filling stations along the way to Aceh,” a truck driver, Bajo, said in Binjai on Wednesday. (nvn)