Govt moves to restore fuel oil and LPG supply in Sintang after distribution disruptions

Pontianak, Thekabarnews.com—People in Sintang, West Kalimantan, are worried because they cannot find 3-kilogram LPG tanks and have to wait a long time at gas stations. It was hard to give people power because of the bad weather and broken equipment. The government moved quickly.

The Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Ministry moved quickly to make sure that the supply of subsidized LPG and fuel oil (BBM) got back to normal. On Tuesday, February 17, the Oil and Gas Director General (Ditjen Migas), Laode Sulaeman, went to the Integrated Terminal Pontianak. He inspected the stock and observed the distribution process. 

“We are in Pontianak to make sure that everything goes as planned and on time. The public needs to get the best service and answers as soon as possible,” Laode said.

The Fuel Terminal Sintang, the Integrated Terminal Pontianak, and the Fuel Terminal Ketapang are all important parts of West Kalimantan’s energy system. There are 151 gas stations, 116 LPG agents for 3-kg cylinders, and 4,280 LPG bases in the province’s distribution network. Kalimantan can hold 526,479 kiloliters of gas and 7,720 metric tons of LPG.

Laode said that even with this infrastructure, supply chains still had trouble getting things done. It was challenging to get gas to Sintang because the Melawi River was full of silt. In addition, the flooding made people in Sanggau lose their jobs. That was the most difficult part.

Ditjen Migas worked with other businesses to fix the problem and keep the damage to a minimum. The government improved Integrated Terminal Pontianak by hiring more people, bringing in tankers from nearby areas, and building four rest areas. As a result, the changes kept things moving.

There are about 739 gasoline tanker trucks and 104 LPG skid tanks in Kalimantan that help move energy around. Officials also made it easier for everyone to work together. These measures helped get things back to normal more quickly.

Laode said that the government is still watching things in the field and doing everything possible to get things back to normal as soon as possible.

“We always check to see if we have gas and oil. We will keep working to get things to the right places faster,” he said.

The people in charge still believe that getting LPG and gas to Sintang and other parts of West Kalimantan will be easier soon. Things will be better and easier because of this. The change will help people who live nearby, and the area’s power supply will also be more reliable.