ExxonMobil not yet ready to resume Aceh operations<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (Antara): ExxonMobil Oil Indonesia will need at least
\none month to resume its operations in Aceh in order to conduct
\ntechnical tests in the field, Minister of Energy and Mineral
\nResources Purnomo Yusgiantoro said here on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\"To resume its operations, ExxonMobil would require a month
\n(of preparation),\" Purnomo said.<\/p>\n
The American company had suspended its operations in Aceh
\nsince March 9 due to mounting threats made by the separatist Free
\nAceh Movement.<\/p>\n
The move caused Indonesia financial losses estimated at some
\nUS$100 million a month for its failure to meet natural gas
\nexports to Japan and South Korea.<\/p>\n
Purnomo said the company will have to conduct field tests
\nbefore restarting operations to ensure that all pipes are ready
\nfor operation.<\/p>\n
The government, he said, had sent a team to help the company
\nmake preparations.<\/p>\n
He, however, did not provide details on the preparations to be
\nmade.<\/p>\n
On the scarcity of diesel fuel along the northern coast of
\nWest Java, Purnomo said state oil company Pertamina had been
\nplanning to assign additional supplies to meet the legitimate
\ndemands of fishermen in the area.<\/p>\n
\"Yesterday, I visited Surabaya (East Java) and Central Java.
\nThere is no scarcity of diesel fuel except along the northern
\ncoast. Pertamina had agreed to launch a market operation there,\"
\nthe minister added.<\/p>\n
The highest demand for diesel fuel occurs in Jakarta,
\namounting to 5 million kiloliters a year, 40 percent of which is
\nconsumed by industrial users.<\/p>\n
Many cities in the country have suffered a shortage of diesel
\noil following the government's recent decision to set a different
\nprice for industries.<\/p>\n
Under the new price regulation, industries have to buy the
\ndiesel fuel at Rp 970 per liter, as compared to Rp 550 at a gas
\nstation. Many industries however bought the diesel oil from gas
\nstations through \"intermediaries\" to take the advantage of the
\nscheme.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/exxonmobil-not-yet-ready-to-resume-aceh-operations-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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