October 8, 2025 | 06:07 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - PT Pertamina Patra Niaga asserts that the RON 90 type of fuel, Pertalite, currently distributed at all company-owned gas stations, is produced without the addition of ethanol.
"We hope that the public remains cautious of misleading hoaxes," said Pertamina Patra Niaga's Acting Corporate Secretary, Roberth MV Dumatubun, in a statement in Jakarta on Wednesday, October 8, 2025.
Previously, there were circulating social media postings claiming that Pertalite had been mixed with ethanol. Roberth confirmed that this information is false and misleading.
Roberth explained that Pertalite is a RON 90 gasoline product derived from the blending of hydrocarbon components from the refinery (gasoline base), not from bioethanol. This has been proven through official laboratory tests.
Pertamina Patra Niaga also addresses the misunderstanding caused by experiments attempting to mix Pertalite with water. According to him, the experiment showing two layers of liquid cannot be considered as evidence of the presence of ethanol. Scientifically, gasoline is nonpolar; thus, it cannot mix with the polar nature of water.
"The appearance of a layer below after being shaken is water and a small amount of gasoline component, which has a polar nature and can indeed partially dissolve. This is a natural phenomenon and can occur with all types of gasoline worldwide," said Roberth.
He urges the public to be cautious about believing or spreading unverified information, especially that which originates from social media or chain messages.
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