Jakarta. Pertamina International Shipping (PIS) said Thursday that it had deployed its fleet to distribute aid and energy to disaster-affected areas in Sumatra.

PIS has also made sure that its sailors are ready to distribute the energy amidst the extreme weather conditions, which the company admitted posed a challenge in the distribution.

*We have prepared mitigation measures to ensure the continued distribution of fuel and liquefied petroleum gas [LPG], such as rerouting and preparing the fleet to anticipate accelerated stock replenishment," PIS Acting Corporate Secretary Vega Pita said.

At the Medan Fuel Terminal, three ships carrying 280,000 barrels of Pertalite and 30,000 kiloliters of diesel fuel had difficulty docking since Nov. 23. The ships managed to dock on Dec. 1. To resume the operations, PIS joined forces with the trading subholding Pertamina Patra Niaga to mitigate the situation by transferring fuel distribution from IT Lhokseumawe, FT Kisaran, and FT Siantar to FT Medan Group via tanker trucks.

PIS deployed two ships to transport fuel supplies, consisting of 100,000 barrels of Pertalite and 6,000 kiloliters of diesel fuel, to the Sumatra area. The vessels arrived on Nov. 28-29.

PIS used the MT Kamojang and MT Kasim tankers to distribute staple goods to North Sumatra’s Sibolga. The aid was later transferred to the Transko Tawes mooring boat, owned by PT Pertamina Trans Kontinental (PTK), en route to the Sibolga Fuel Terminal Port. The four-day sea journey, starting on Nov.29  encountered another challenge: the Transko Tawes boat ran aground. They had to transfer back the aid to the boat for its final journey to the Sibolga Fuel Terminal Port.

The PTK ship, the Transko Sikatan, also supported logistics rollout to the Lhokseumawe area and to the Pupuk Iskandar Muda port.

"We continue to move quickly to address fuel transportation challenges. Hopefully, the weather conditions will improve so that energy distribution can proceed optimally, and aid distribution can reach the affected communities," Vega said.

Captain Dona Kurnia of PIS talked of the challenges encountered during the journey. He was helming a tanker from Cilacap en route to Wayame.

"After two days of sailing, entering the Bali Sea and the Banda Sea, the weather changed significantly. Strong winds and large waves caused the ship to roll, causing the cargo on board to become disorganized," Dona said.

To ensure energy supply, PIS will continue to strengthen crew competency, use state-of-the-art navigation technologies, and implement strict safety protocols.

"We make sure that both our engine and crew are in prime condition, and that we have our safety equipment ready," Dona said.

Route selection is also key to make sure that the cargoes go undisturbed by waves.

PIS prepared a total of 332 tankers carrying crude oil, fuel, and LPG to ensure energy distribution to remote areas during the year-end holidays. PIS readied 338 support vessels (tugboats) from PTK to ensure smooth docking as well as loading and unloading processes at ports. PIS has partnered with the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) and non-governmental organization Filantra to send aid to the flood-affected communities in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.