Continual Progress, Pertamina Unit Balikpapan Refinery Ready to Increase Production Capacity to 360 Thousand Barrels Per Day

Balikpapan, March 8, 2024 - PT Pertamina International Refinery (KPI) Unit Balikpapan is implementing the Turnaround (TA) Revamp project or periodic refinery maintenance to increase production capacity. This maintenance will integrate the operational processes of existing refinery units with new refinery units as part of the Balikpapan RDMP refinery development program. The connection of these refinery units will be a historic milestone for the Balikpapan Refinery, as its original production capacity of 260 thousand barrels per day will increase to 360 thousand barrels per day.

The TA Revamp project, estimated to last 58 days, has successfully met its work targets. It was announced by the General Manager of the Balikpapan Unit of PT KPI, Arafat Bayu Nugroho, during his remarks at the Grand Toolbox Meeting event. "I would like to express my gratitude. The progress of the TA Revamp implementation is in line with the targets. We strive to ensure that it is completed on time," Bayu said.

The implementation progress of the TA Revamp at Pertamina Unit Balikpapan Refinery has reached approximately 50% to date. Additionally, 51 scopes of work or connection points are being carried out jointly by PT KPI Unit Balikpapan and PT Pertamina Balikpapan Refinery (KPB).

During this Grand Toolbox Meeting, Bayu also reiterated the importance of prioritizing safety. "And thankfully, Alhamdulillah, everything is safe. Always prioritize safety, wear complete Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), work with proper procedures, and use inspected equipment. Conduct supervision together. And we must also care for each other. Those around us, front, back, left, and right, are our team members; we want them to be safe too," Bayu emphasized in his guidance to the team.

The Grand Toolbox Meeting was attended by the management, workers from the Balikpapan Unit of PT KPI, Inter-Unit Assistance Workers, and TA Revamp implementing partners.

One of the participants in the Grand Toolbox Meeting from PT Panca Putra Mulia, Hari Purwanto, shared the risks he faces while working and how to anticipate them. "I work in HSC column C120. To mitigate the danger of working at heights, we wear full-body harnesses. Then, to prevent objects from falling, we secure them, don't place items at the edges, tie or put them in bags. Then, for limited oxygen space mitigation, we can wear oxygen masks and conduct gas tests beforehand," Hari explained.

As information, the Toolbox Meeting is one of the activities in the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) efforts that are routine and planned before work begins. The Grand Toolbox Meeting, conducted on a large scale, serves as a coordination medium to inform workers about everything related to OHS, including procedural explanations, OHS issues (work accidents, non-conformities found), brief training for workers, and other information.

Meanwhile, the HSSE Manager of PT KPI Unit Balikpapan, Binsar Butar Butar, hopes that unforeseen incidents do not occur during the project. "Colleagues can identify it themselves. Before starting work, make sure to identify the hazards. Secondly, determine the mitigation measures, and then strive to control all risks; let's pray together for everything to proceed smoothly and safely," Binsar explained.

Vice President of Corporate Communication of PT Pertamina (Persero), Fadjar Djoko Santoso, stated that the transition process from existing refineries to new refineries is complex, thus requiring caution, including maintenance processes to support the Balikpapan RDMP development to increase refinery capacity. "We hope that the process will run smoothly, so that it can be completed on target and the Balikpapan refinery will become the largest processing refinery owned by Indonesia with a capacity of 360 thousand barrels per day," Fadjar said.

Pertamina, as a leading company in the energy transition, is committed to supporting the Net Zero Emission 2060 target by continuously promoting programs that directly impact the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) achievement. All these efforts align with Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) implementation across all Pertamina's business lines and operations.**