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TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), Bahlil Lahadalia, conducted a surprise inspection in response to public reports regarding alleged non-compliance with fuel standards at several gas stations in East Java. He carried out the inspection at SPBU 26 Pertamina Asrikaton, Pakis, Malang, on Wednesday, October 29, 2025."I, together with the Oil and Natural Gas Testing Institute (Lemigas), have just completed an inspection at SPBU (gas stations) 26 Malang. Based on the samples, the quality has been declared to be in accordance with the standards and safe for use," Bahlil said, as quoted in a written statement on Thursday, October 30, 2025.In addition to Malang, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, along with Lemigas, deployed a team to inspect several other gas stations in Gresik, Surabaya, and Lamongan. This inspection was conducted in response to public reports of alleged water contamination in the fuel at these locations."The team has already conducted on-site inspections, and tomorrow at 11 a.m., we will review the inspection results of all the gas stations," Bahlil said.He ensured that the government would take a firm stance against any party found to violate fuel distribution and management, including Pertamina. "If there are indeed violations, the government will not hesitate to impose stern sanctions on Pertamina," Bahlil said.Bahlil explained that the purpose of the inspection was to ensure that the operational service standards in the field were being properly implemented. The government guarantees that the fuel consumed by the public truly meets the applicable qualifications.Meanwhile, the Director General of Oil and Natural Gas at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Laode Sulaeman, claimed that the quality test results for fuel at gas stations in Gresik and Surabaya conformed to the standards. "We conducted water paste and visual tests. The results showed that the fuel contained no water. All the samples were in good condition and met the standards," Laode said.Nevertheless, the President Director of Pertamina Patra Niaga, Mars Ega Legowo Putra, stated that the investigation at the gas station level would continue to ensure the quality along the distribution line. "We are committed to responsibly following up on every public report," he said.Previously, Pertamina Patra Niaga received complaints about the quality of Pertalite in the area. Based on the received complaints, several Pertalite users experienced engine issues after refueling at several gas stations.Pertamina apologized for the inconvenience experienced by the public. The state-owned company emphasized that the distribution of fuel continued to operate normally, and all products distributed had undergone strict supervision from the shipping terminal to the gas stations."Our top priority is to ensure the safety of supply and the quality of fuel products received by the public in accordance with the applicable regulations," said Area Manager Communication, Relations & CSR Pertamina Patra Niaga, Regional Jatimbalinus Ahad Rahedi, in a written statement on Wednesday, October 29, 2025.According to Rahedi, most consumer complaints came from the regions of Lamongan, Gresik, Bojonegoro, Tuban, Surabaya, Sidoarjo, and Malang. He stated that laboratory tests would be conducted on the fuel distributed in those areas.Rahedi claimed that so far, the entire fuel distribution process in the region had been carried out in accordance with standard operational procedures (SOP), including product quality testing in laboratories before distribution to the public."An ongoing further investigation is currently underway to check the quality and quantity of fuel at the gas station level as the final distribution point to the public to ensure product quality and compliance with specifications," he said.Editor's Choice: Energy Minister Bahlil Denies Claims Ethanol Is Unsuitable for Fuel UseClick here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
