TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - PT Pertamina (Persero) has refuted allegations of fuel adulteration at several gas stations. Acting President Director of Pertamina's subsidiary Patra Niaga, Mars Ega Legowo Putra, asserted that all fuel products sold at official gas stations meet the guaranteed specifications.

He conveyed this during a meeting at the House of Representatives (DPR) building on Wednesday, February 26, 2025. "Earlier, we had a meeting with the DPR Commission XII. We explained technically, the RON 90 and RON 92 fuels marketed under the Pertamina brand are under the specified specifications. We guarantee that the fuel sold at official Pertamina gas stations is a product with maintained quality," Mars Ega said at the DPR on Wednesday, February 26, 2025.

He also explained that adding additives to fuel is not part of adulteration practices, but aims to improve product performance. "These additives are added to enhance the utility value of the fuel, for example, by adding anti-rust agents and detergents to keep the engine clean and to increase vehicle acceleration," he said.

Mars Ega emphasized that there is no facility for fuel blending at Pertamina Patra Niaga's fuel storage terminal. "[We only have] facilities for adding additives and dyes, not for fuel adulteration," he said.

In terms of supervision, he mentioned that the government is monitoring Pertamina's fuel distribution through the Downstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Agency (BPH) and the Directorate General of Oil and Gas of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM). "Sampling and quality testing are routinely conducted by independent parties," he said.

Regarding the possibility of individuals adulterating fuel outside official gas stations, Mars Ega advised the public to always purchase fuel at Pertamina gas stations. "If it's outside of our gas stations, we cannot guarantee its quality. But at Pertamina gas stations, we ensure that the fuel meets the standards," he said.

He also denied any changes in the fuel specification sold by Pertamina. "There are no specification changes. Only the addition of additives to improve performance, not adulteration," he stated.

During the meeting with Pertamina and several other private companies, Deputy Chair of the DPR Commission XII, Bambang Haryadi, stated that adding additives to fuel does not change the research octane number (RON). 

"Earlier, Pertamina and private companies all stated that the addition of additives only serves to add value or advantages to the type of product. So, it does not change the RON because increasing the RON is impossible," Bambang said when met at the DPR on Wednesday, February 26, 2025.

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