Pertamina plans six new tankers

Indonesia’s oil and gas company Pertamina plans to buy six new oil tankers next year to enlarge its fleet. The company will allocate between $60 million and $70 million next year to build six new tankers ranging from 6,500 to 35,000 DWT. A spokesman for the company did not indicate if Pertamina plans to have the tankers built at a local shipyard or at a foreign yard.

The state-run company last year was embroiled in a controversy involving the sale of two VLCCs to Norway’s Frontline Shipping Ltd., saying it needed the funds to ease cash-flow problems. However, it didn’t get approval from the government prior to the sale.