First Giant Tanker Docks at New Lawe-Lawe Mooring Facility, Strengthening Crude Oil Supply Readiness to RDMP Balikpapan

Monday, 29 December 2025

PT Kilang Pertamina Balikpapan (KPB) marked an important milestone in strengthening national energy infrastructure with the first docking of a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) tanker at the new mooring facility of the Lawe-Lawe Refinery Development Master Plan (RDMP) project.

The VLCC successfully docked and transferred crude oil through a 320,000 Deadweight Tonnage (DWT) Single Point Mooring (SPM) facility during the period of December 24-29, 2025. This activity also marked the first filling of crude oil into new storage tanks at the Lawe-Lawe Crude Terminal with a capacity of 1 million barrels.

The success of this docking and first filling demonstrates the readiness of the Lawe-Lawe RDMP facility to receive large-scale crude oil supplies safely and reliably. The facility is expected to strengthen the crude oil reception system and support the smooth operation of the refinery on an ongoing basis.

The implementation of this activity is the result of synergy between PT KPB and PT Kilang Pertamina Internasional (KPI) RU V Balikpapan, PT Pertamina Marine Solutions (PMSOL), and PT Patra Logistik, with an emphasis on safety and operational reliability.

PT KPB President Director Bambang Harimurti said that this achievement is an important part of supporting national energy security. “The successful berthing of the supertanker and the first crude oil loading at this new facility strengthen the readiness of energy infrastructure in supporting refinery capacity expansion and national energy security,” he said.

The mooring facility is designed to serve supertankers with the support of a 52-inch diameter underwater pipeline stretching 13.9 kilometers offshore and 6.3 kilometers onshore to the Lawe-Lawe Crude Terminal. The mooring and crude oil transfer processes were carried out in stages and closely monitored as part of operational readiness testing, with a design flow capacity of up to 8,000 cubic meters per hour.

In addition to focusing on technical and operational aspects, PT KPB also prioritizes social values and togetherness. This maiden berthing was accompanied by a joint prayer and the distribution of donations to the Uswatun Khasanah Orphanage and educational assistance for the Jannatul Firdaus Islamic Boarding School in Penajam Paser Utara (PPU).

Asep Sulaeman, Vice President of Legal & Relations at PT KPB, emphasized that energy infrastructure development must go hand in hand with benefits for the community. “PT KPB not only builds reliable energy infrastructure but also ensures the company's presence has a positive and sustainable impact on the surrounding community,” he concluded.