PERTAMAX NAIK LAGI! Ternyata Begini Rumitnya Proses Pembuatan Bahan Bakar Minyak BBM Pertamina

Crude Oil Collection and Initial Processing
🛢️ Crude oil is extracted from the earth through drilling operations, conducted both on land and offshore, following similar working principles.
⚓ Offshore drilling carries a significant risk of oil spills, which can severely damage marine ecosystems, necessitating extra caution.
⬇️ Once collected, the oil is stored in large containers on land or transported via tankers to onshore facilities for processing.

Petroleum Refining Processes
🌡️ The first major step is Distillation, where crude oil is heated to approximately 370°C to separate components based on their boiling points in a tall, sealed column.
🧪 Distillation yields various fractions; for example, one barrel of oil produces 3 liters of Asphalt, 35 liters of Fuel Oil, 73 liters of Diesel, and 20 liters of other types.
💥 Cracking follows, which breaks down large hydrocarbon molecules into smaller, usable fuel molecules using high pressure and heat, often with a catalyst.
🧬 Reforming (Isomerization) changes the structure of molecules; straight-chain, lower-quality hydrocarbons are converted into branched-chain molecules with better quality.
➕ Alkylation further improves molecules by adding atoms to create longer, branched chains, often using strong acid catalysts like H₂SO₄ (sulfuric acid) or HCl (hydrochloric acid).
🧼 Frit-ing (Purification) is the cleanup phase where contaminants like bad odors (via caustic whitening), paraffin wax (via solvent dewaxing), and sulfur (via desulfurization) are removed.
🧪 Polymerization merges small molecules into larger ones, resulting in higher-quality fuel.

Final Blending and Fuel Pricing
🧪 The final stage is Blending, where the refined components are mixed with active ingredients to enhance quality and create ready-to-use fuel.
⛽ A key additive used is Tetraethyl Lead (TEL), which increases the Octane Rating of gasoline; higher octane generally means a higher market price.
📈 As of April 1, 2022, Pertamax Ron 92 prices increased from approximately Rp9,400/liter to Rp12,500–Rp13,000/liter.
⛽ Other fuel prices varied; Pertalite Ron 90 settled between Rp6,700 and Rp7,650/liter, while subsidized diesel remained at Rp5,150/liter.

Key Points & Insights
➡️ The refining process involves a sequence of critical steps: Collection, Distillation, Cracking, Reforming, Alkylation, Purification (Frit-ing), and Blending.
➡️ The quality and price of gasoline are directly influenced by the Octane Number, which is boosted during the final blending stage using additives like TEL.
➡️ Pricing for different fuels in early 2022 showed significant volatility, with premium fuels like Pertamax seeing notable increases, while subsidized fuels like diesel remained stable at Rp5,150/liter.

📸 Video summarized with SummaryTube.com on Jan 26, 2026, 02:20 UTC