Thorough Investigation Called for in Pertamina Refinery Fire

KOMPAS/WILIBRORDUS MEGANDIKA WICAKSONO

The situation of the Pertamina refinery in Cilacap, Central Java, Sunday (11/14/2021).

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — State owned oil giant Pertamina said a fire that broke out at one of its oil storage tanks at a refinery in Cilacap, Central Java, on Saturday night (11/13/2021), did not disrupt the fuel supply. The company is still investigating the cause of the fire. A thorough investigation is needed not only to determine the cause of the fire but also to ensure that a similar fire will not occur again in the future.

At a press conference in Jakarta on Sunday (14/11), Pertamina president director Nicke Widyawati told the public not to panic as the fire would not disturb the fuel supply. The fire, which began in tank 361T102 at the facility at about 7:20 p.m., was extinguished by 11:05 p.m. However, 80 minutes later a second fire broke out. That fire was fully extinguished by 07:45 a.m. on Sunday.

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Thanks to the operations of the Pertamina Integrated Command Center (PICC) digital infrastructure, Nicke said, the state oil company had managed to control the situation and monitor the fire suppression remotely. “We made sure that only one tank caught fire, out of a total of 200 tanks. Thus, there have been no shutdowns and production is continuing normally. We guarantee that the supply of fuel is safe," he said.

Kompas/Wawan H Prabowo

Pertamina president director Nicke Widyawati.

Wells and public facilities in residential areas near the Cilacap refinery complex, such as Gumilir Village, North Cilacap district, were polluted with ash from the fire. Residents had to drain their wells. “The well is dirty and black and has a bad smell. The well has been drained. In fact, it is used for drinking and washing," said Poniman, 66, a resident of Gumilir village, on Sunday (14/11).

In addition to polluting the wells, the ash from the fire covered the leaves of plants. On the highway around Gumilir Station, the sidewalks and puddles on the roadside were blackened by the thick ashes. "I hope Pertamina will provide a clean water supply. I don't know whether the dirty water from the well is safe to drink," he said.

Abra Talattov, a researcher at the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (Indef), said the fuel production from the Cilacap refinery complex typically met about 33 to 34 percent of the national fuel and liquefied petroleum demand. Its contribution is quite large, so if there is a disturbance, it has the potential to disrupt the national supply of fuel oil and liquefied petroleum gas.

The investigation of the incident has not yet been completed. From 1995 to 2021, seven fires occurred at the same refinery complex.

Two fires have now broken out at the Cilacap refinery complex this year. The first occurred in June. The investigation of the incident has not yet been completed. From 1995 to 2021, seven fires occurred at the same refinery complex.

“Investigations must be accelerated, not only to find out the cause, but also to prevent a similar fire from occurring again. Pertamina and related ministries/institutions, such as the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry and the State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Ministry should play an active role in the investigation," said Abra.

KOMPAS/WILIBRORDUS MEGANDIKA WICAKSONO

The atmosphere of the Pertamina International Refinery Unit Cilacap as seen from Kutawaru Village, Central Cilacap District, Cilacap Regency, Central Java, Wednesday (6/10/2021).

The frequency of fires at the Cilacap refinery could discourage investors from investing in the facility’s expansion project, Abra said, "Investors will certainly think about the risks of investing in refineries. If there is a fire, the loss will not only come from the content of the burned tank but also from the value of the tank itself,” he said.

Nicke pledged that Pertamina would conduct a thorough investigation of the 361T102 tank fire at the Cilacap refinery complex. Pertamina also said it would ensure the safety of the employees and residents living around the refinery.

The Cilacap refinery complex is one of six refineries owned by Pertamina. The refinery has a processing capacity of 270,000 barrels per day. There are 200 tanks in the refinery area to store crude oil and processed fuel.

(This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi).