Ahead of Asia elections, oil companies told to keep prices low

Thailand's PTT and Indonesia's Pertamina face pressure as crude soars

20181011N gas station pertamina

A worker at a state-owned Pertamina petrol station holds money as a motorcycle is filled with subsidised fuel in Jakarta.

APORNRATH PHOONPHONGPHIPHAT, Nikkei staff writer

BANGKOK -- Southeast Asian oil companies are under government pressure to keep prices low to offset the economic impact of surging Brent crude levels which hit their highest since 2014 last week.

Regional economies are feeling the pain of surging oil prices after Brent crude reached $86.74 a barrel last week, prompting governments to demand state-controlled companies keep a lid on prices, even though this has an adverse impact on their earnings.

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