TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - PT Pertamina Patra Niaga denies the mixing practice of Pertamax fuel. The company ensures that the quality of Pertamax still complies with the specifications set by the government, namely with a Research Octane Number (RON) of 92.

Corporate Secretary of Pertamina Patra Niaga, Heppy Wulansari, asserts that all fuel products at Pertamina's terminal have met the standards set.

"The entering products of Pertamina's fuel terminal are finished products that conform to their respective RON. Pertalite has an RON of 90, and Pertamax has an RON of 92. The specifications distributed to the public from the reception of the products at Pertamina's terminal have been following government regulations," Heppy said in her official statement on Wednesday, February 26, 2025.

Heppy's statement responds to the alleged corruption in managing crude oil and refinery products currently being handled by the Attorney General's Office (AGO). In this case, the AGO has named four Pertamina executives as suspects. The suspects come from the management of Pertamina's subsidiaries and private parties allegedly involved from 2018 to 2023.

The four executives who have become suspects are the President Director of PT Pertamina Patra Niaga Riva Siahaan; the Director of Feedstock and Product Optimization Sani Dinar Saifuddin at PT Kilang Pertamina Internasional; the President Director of PT Pertamina International Shipping Yoki Firnandi, and the Vice President of Feedstock Management Agus Purwono at PT Kilang Pertamina Internasional.

In sourcing imports, Riva is allegedly involved in purchasing refinery products, RON 92 or Pertamax. But, RON 90 or Pertalite is purchased. It is then blended at the depot to become RON 92, which is not permitted.

Meanwhile, Yoki, a suspect in sourcing crude oil imports and refinery products at PT Pertamina International Shipping, is alleged to have deliberately marked up by 13 to 15 percent, which is believed to benefit the brokers.

Furthermore, Heppy explained that the process carried out at the main fuel terminal is only the injection of dye to differentiate the products for easier recognition by the public, as well as the injection of additives to enhance the performance of Pertamax. "So, it's not mixing or altering the RON. The public doesn't need to worry about the quality of Pertamax," she said.

Heppy also affirmed that Pertamina Patra Niaga ensures strict procedures and oversight in quality control (QC). The Downstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Agency (BPH Migas) monitors Pertamina's fuel distribution process. "We adhere to procedures to ensure quality, and its distribution is also supervised by BPH Migas."

Pertamina's Vice President of Corporate Communication, Fadjar Djoko Santoso, previously claimed that the company is committed to maintaining the quality of the fuel distributed to the public. "The public doesn't need to worry, Pertamina's products on sale have gone through a series of tests to ensure prime quality," he said.

Jihan Ristiyanti contributed to the writing of this article.

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