Jakarta. Pertamina Patra Niaga, the sales arm of state-run oil company Pertamina, has rejected allegations that it mixed cheaper, subsidized Pertalite with Pertamax, a higher-octane gasoline. 

Pertalite is sold at Rp 10,000 per liter under government subsidies, while Pertamax commands a higher price determined by market forces.

The Attorney General’s Office raised the illegal blending accusation in its ongoing corruption investigation into several Pertamina subsidiaries, which has led to the arrest of Pertamina Patra Niaga CEO Riva Siahaan and six other suspects.

Following Riva’s arrest, acting CEO Mars Ega Legowo clarified that the company does mix gasoline with an additive to raise its octane number. “That additive is meant to enhance quality, and other companies do the same,” Ega said in Jakarta, without naming those other companies.

He insisted that Pertamax is not a blended product and that Pertamina does not have a dedicated blending facility for gasoline. Instead, the company adds an additive and coloring substances. 

Ega also noted that Pertamina’s fuel quality is monitored closely by the government and regularly tested by independent teams taking samples from random gas stations. “We guarantee the quality of Pertamina’s fuel products at authorized gas stations,” he said.

However, Ega did not specify which additive substance is used in the production of Pertamax.