Bomb explodes at ExxonMobil gas field<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A bomb exploded early Monday at one of Arun's
\ngas pipelines in Aceh as soldiers secured the territory along the
\npipeline, the government said, but adding the incident would not
\ncause a delay in Arun's start up schedule.<\/p>\n
Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro
\nsaid that no casualties were reported in the explosion and that
\nthe pipeline suffered no damages from the blast.<\/p>\n
\"The only thing that got hit was a car that passed by,\"
\nPurnomo said on the sideline of a hearing with the House of
\nRepresentatives' Commission VIII, to discuss the new oil and gas
\nbill.<\/p>\n
According to him, the bomb was an old one, a leftover
\nbelonging to the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), who, he said, had no
\nintention of blowing it up on Monday.<\/p>\n
Purnomo said soldiers stumbled upon the bomb when they were
\ncombing the territory along the some 60 kilometers-long pipeline
\nconnecting Arun's gas fields with the Arun liquefied natural gas
\n(LNG) plant.<\/p>\n
Despite the incident, he continued, preparations at the Arun
\ngas fields would go ahead for a start up at mid July.<\/p>\n
\"We have to face it, it (the incident) is part of the
\npreparation; preparation isn't just opening a tap and let the gas
\nflow,\" he said.<\/p>\n
A team of some 200 ExxonMobil workers are in Arun to prepare
\nthe start up of the gas fields. The fields have been left
\nunattended for over three months.<\/p>\n
Purnomo said that initial reports placed the conditions of the
\nExxonMobil's gas facilities as very poor.<\/p>\n
ExxonMobil pulled out from Arun due to security threats,
\nbelieved to have come from GAM members.<\/p>\n
GAM spokesman Sofyan Daud denied the allegation that the group
\nwas responsible for the blast.<\/p>\n
According to him, it was impossible for his men to place the
\nbomb inside the pipeline's vicinity, as the area was tightly
\nguarded.<\/p>\n
Separately, Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and
\nSecurity Affairs Agum Gumelar said he had no plans to send
\nenforcement to Arun.<\/p>\n
\"What we really want is to reduce the soldiers in the
\nprovince,\" he said. (bkm\/emf\/50\/dja)<\/p>",
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