The fuel shortage that triggered long queues at a number of gas stations across Bali was caused by a technical issue involving a fuel tanker.
PT Pertamina President Director Simon Aloysius Mantiri explained that the disruption occurred when the vessel encountered difficulties dropping anchor before unloading its fuel cargo.
“As a result of this issue, the fuel unloading process, which was originally scheduled to begin at 6:30 a.m. WITA, had to be postponed until 10:00 p.m. WITA,” Simon said on Tuesday (October 13, 2026).
Terminals Operating Around the Clock
To accelerate fuel distribution across Bali, Pertamina has strengthened its fuel tanker truck fleet, deployed additional personnel, extended terminal operations to 24 hours a day, and arranged for additional fuel shipments by sea.
Kitty Andhora, Vice President of Corporate Communication at Pertamina Patra Niaga, said the company is implementing a range of integrated operational measures to speed up the recovery of fuel services in Bali.
“Pertamina Patra Niaga continues to optimize fuel distribution in Bali through the deployment of additional tanker trucks, support personnel from other regions, 24-hour terminal operations, and supply optimization through vessels that have already docked,” Kitty explained. “All of these efforts are aimed at accelerating fuel deliveries to gas stations, helping reduce queues, and improving public access to fuel services,” she added.
To further support public access to fuel, 66 gas stations in Denpasar and Badung are also operating 24 hours a day. The extended operating hours are expected to give motorists greater flexibility when purchasing fuel while supporting broader service recovery efforts across the island.
Based on scheduled vessel arrivals, the additional fuel supply totals 57.9 million liters, consisting of 44.9 million liters of Pertalite and 13 million liters of Pertamax. The extra supply is expected to strengthen fuel availability and help ensure smooth distribution to gas stations throughout Bali.
The issue is not limited to Bali. Indonesia’s Ombudsman has also received reports of fuel queues building up at gas stations in 10 other provinces.
Ombudsman member Abdul Ghoffar said the initial reports came from Bali, West Papua, Banten, West Kalimantan, West Sumatra, North Sumatra, West Sulawesi, North Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, Aceh, and West Java.