E. Kalimantan Attaka oil field resumes production after fire<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Oil company Unocal Indonesia has restarted
\nproduction at the Attaka offshore oil field near Balikpapan, East
\nKalimantan after a fire razed one of its platforms.<\/p>\n
Company onshore production manager Eddy Suryo told The Jakarta
\nPost from Balikpapan yesterday the oil field resumed production
\nMonday, one day after its Echo platform was burned and submerged
\nfollowing a gas leak from the oil well.<\/p>\n
\"We have restarted production at normal capacity. Now we only
\nhave to put out the fire at remnants of the burned platform and
\ncontain the area to prevent an oil spill,\" said Eddy.<\/p>\n
According to state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina's data,
\nUnocal's Attaka oil field has 17 platforms with total production
\nof 40,000 bpd, including 6,000 bpd from the burned Echo platform.<\/p>\n
Unocal, a subsidiary of the U.S.-based Unocal Corp., operates
\nseven oil fields across the country with total production of
\n90,000 barrels per day (bpd).<\/p>\n
The Echo platform was set ablaze Sunday afternoon and
\nsubsequently sunk into the sea. Unocal soon closed the oil field
\nand evacuated all workers.<\/p>\n
\"There was no explosion. The rig was just set ablaze,\" said
\nEddy.<\/p>\n
No casualties were reported but the company's general manager
\nMuchlis Sadzali earlier estimated property loss at about Rp 18
\nbillion (US$6.6 million).<\/p>\n
Eddy said two experts from the United States consultancy firm
\nWild Well Control were scheduled to arrive at the location today
\nto establish a relief well to extinguish the fire at the remnants
\nof the Echo platform.<\/p>\n
\"The most awful effect of such an event would be an oil spill.
\nBut so far we have been able to prevent it with our antipollution
\ndevice,\" he said. (jsk)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/e-kalimantan-attaka-oil-field-resumes-production-after-fire-1447893297",
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