Blecch! Indonesia To "Tighten" Diesel Fuel Sulfur Levels - Down To 3,500 PPM - Reuters

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(Please insert hacking coughing noises here . . . )

JAKARTA - Indonesia will impose a maximum sulphur content of 3,500 parts per million (ppm) for diesel from March, down from 5,000 ppm, a senior energy ministry official said on Monday, a move that may prompt state-run Pertamina to raise diesel imports.


This is part of a global trend to cut pollutant sulphur from motor fuels and in line with plans announced last year by Indonesia, Asia's top importer of diesel. "We will tighten controls on diesel oil import which we will allow maximum 3,500 ppm sulphur from March," Erie Soedarmo, a director at the mines and energy ministry, told Reuters by telephone.

State oil firm Pertamina, which had expected to import steady volumes of oil products in February at 9.6-9.8 million barrels, said it might have to boost diesel imports above planned levels to meet the March target.

"The volume of domestic output will fall if the government imposes 3,500 ppm diesel sulphur. We may import more diesel in future," Djaelani Sutomo, Pertamina's oil products marketing chief, told Reuters. "We have sent a letter to the government to take into consideration the possibility of more diesel imports," he said.

EDIT

http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/39728/story.htm