The KPK in mid-August 2024 again revealed the involvement of Pertamina Energy Services Limited (PES) and PT Anugrah Pabuaran Energy in the alleged corruption case of Pertamina Energy Trading Limited (Petral).
The case was reopened after KPK named former Petral CEO Bambang Irianto as a suspect on September 10, 2019.
KPK spokesperson Tessa Mahardhika Sugiarto in Jakarta, Tuesday (6/8/2024), said, “Investigators are exploring the supply chain of petroleum (crude oil) and fuel (Migas 88) purchases.”
At that time, the KPK named Bambang Irianto as a suspect in receiving bribes worth USD 2.9 million. In this case, the former Managing Director of Pertamina Energy Services (PES) allegedly received money from Kernel Oir Pte Ltd, a Singapore-based trading company for oil and gas products and their derivatives, between 2010-2013.
Bambang is also suspected of receiving bribes from Kernel Oil in the course of trading refinery products and crude oil to PES in Singapore. Bambang camouflaged the oil sent by Kernel Oil to PES, under the pretext of cooperation with a national oil company, in order to meet procurement requirements.
Kernel Oil’s footprint in several cases of bribery or corruption in the oil and gas sector in Indonesia is quite thick. Kernel Oil’s business in Indonesia often leaves a black mark. The above corruption case is not the first time Kernel Oil has been involved.
In 2013, the KPK conducted a hand-catching operation (OTT) against the head of SKK Migas with the initials RR for accepting bribes from Kernel Oil officials.
At that time, Kernel Oil bribed the SKK Migas official regarding the tender for the sale of crude oil through its golf coach named Deviardi alias Ardi.
One of Kernel Oil’s officials, Widodo Ratanachaitong (president trading director), handed over USD 200,000 in bribes to RR.
The bribe money was given in relation to Widodo’s request that RR combine two tenders into one tender, namely the Minas/SLC crude oil tender with Senipah condensate to be won by his company Fossus Energy Ltd.
Simon Gunawan Tanjaya, commissioner of Kernel Oil, was later named as a suspect in this case, and sentenced to 3 years in prison on December 19, 2013 and a fine of Rp 200 million in lieu of 3 months imprisonment.
Simon was proven to have bribed RR amounting to USD 700 thousand on the orders of Widodo Ratanachaitong. Ironically, Simon is in jail but until now Widodo Ratanachaitong is still free and residing in Singapore.
According to IndonesianMining.com, Kernel Oil became an incorporated company in 2006. Kernel Oil is listed as having subsidiaries in three countries, namely Indonesia, Thailand and Australia.
Further investigation shows that Kernel Oil has participated in oil sales tenders since 2010. In fact, in August 2012, Kernel won a condensate sales tender.
Kernel Oil is known to trade crude oil and various crude oil derivative products. Through its crude oil trading activities, Kernel Oil markets oil from the East Asia, Persian Gulf, Mediterranean and West Africa regions.
Kernel Oil also sells oil-derived products, such as gasoline, diesel, base oil, asphalt, condensate, naphtha, kerosene, oil, and residue.
The company also provides natural gas liquids, such as liquified petroleum gas (LPG), ethane and naphtha petrochemicals, and various other chemical products.
Now, rumors of Kernel Oil returning to its business activities in Indonesia are widespread. However, Kernel Oil does not use their name directly, but uses another company or flag.
It is alleged that a local company is now carrying out Kernel Oil’s business activities in Indonesia. Related agencies, such as the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and SKK Migas must be aware of the actions of the Kernel Oil network in Indonesia.
It is not impossible that Kernel Oil, which is in fact a Singapore company, is used as a proxy (representative or intermediary representing something else, ed) of the country to destroy the oil and gas business and its derivatives in Indonesia.
Singapore is the world’s fifth largest refinery and exporter of oil products. Singapore processes crude oil imported from Southeast Asia and the Middle East into export-ready fuel.
Singapore is known to have several large oil refineries, including the Shell Bukom Island Refinery, ExxonMobil Jurong Island Refinery, and SRC Jurong Island Refinery.
A brief review, the Shell Bukom Island Refinery is wholly owned by Shell and can produce 458 thousand barrels of oil per day. Then the ExxonMobil Jurong Island Refinery. This refinery is one of the largest oil refineries in the world with a capacity of 605 thousand barrels per day.
Next is the SRC Jurong Island Refinery. This oil refinery has a capacity of 290 thousand barrels per day.
So once again, beware of Kernel Oil’s accomplices who are starting to come back to sink their nails in this Mother Earth.
Indonesian Mining