Gunmen fire on choppers carrying minister, reporters<\/p>\n
By Johannes Simbolon<\/p>\n
LHOKSEMAWE, Aceh (JP): Gunmen fired on two helicopters
\ncarrying Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo
\nYusgiantoro and other officials inspecting gas and liquefied
\nnatural gas (LNG) operations in Aceh on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Another helicopter carrying journalists covering the
\nminister's visit also was fired on.<\/p>\n
There were no casualties in the shootings, but they underlined
\nthe surge in violence in the province following the government's
\ndecision to launch a military operation against separatist rebels
\nafter failing to hammer out a peace deal at the negotiating
\ntable.<\/p>\n
The incident took place less than one week before President
\nAbdurrahman Wahid is due to visit the province on Monday.<\/p>\n
Purnomo was visiting the gas-rich Arun area in North Aceh
\nregency to observe the situation at the natural gas liquefaction
\nplant of PT Arun NGL Co. and the gas fields owned by American oil
\nand gas giant ExxonMobil. His visit came more than one week after
\nboth companies stopped or cut production.<\/p>\n
ExxonMobil, which is the sole supplier of gas to Arun, halted
\nproduction at its gas fields because of security concerns,
\nforcing Arun to cut its LNG output.<\/p>\n
Bukit Barisan Military Commander Maj. Gen. I.G. Purnawa, who
\nwas on board the helicopter with Purnomo, said the shooting took
\nplace at about 10 a.m. during the flight from Malikussaleh
\nAirport, owned by PT Arun, in Lhoksemawe to ExxonMobil's gas
\nfields in Lhoksukon.<\/p>\n
\"(The helicopter) was shot at by unidentified people, and a
\nbullet put a hole in the bottom of the cockpit,\" Purnawa said.<\/p>\n
The helicopter carrying journalists, including a reporter from
\nThe Jakarta Post, was fired on shortly before landing at the
\nairport in Lhoksukon.<\/p>\n
None of the eight reporters on board the helicopter were aware
\nof the shooting until they were informed of the incident by the
\nhelicopter's engineer upon landing.<\/p>\n
The minister's visit also was marked by an exchange of gunfire
\nbetween Army soldiers guarding ExxonMobil's Point A gas terminal
\nin Lhoksukon and suspected separatists. The violence flared while
\nPurnomo and his entourage were waiting to depart to PT Arun's LNG
\nplant in Lhoksemawe.<\/p>\n
During the visit, Purnomo met with local community leaders at
\nPT Arun and with ExxonMobil employees in the North Sumatra
\nprovincial capital Medan.<\/p>\n
ExxonMobil moved all of its employees, except for a number of
\nsecurity guards, to Medan after stopping production at its Arun
\nfields.<\/p>\n
Purnomo said the closed-door meetings with the ExxonMobil
\nemployees and Lhoksemawe community leaders were meant to gather
\nsuggestions and comments ahead of a Cabinet meeting that will
\ndiscuss the future of ExxonMobi's operations in Aceh.<\/p>\n
Purnomo said most of the community leaders expressed their
\ndesire for ExxonMobil to resume operations, but he said the
\nCabinet would decide on the matter.<\/p>\n
The military also has urged ExxonMobil to resume its gas
\nproduction, promising to step up security at the company's
\nfacilities.<\/p>\n
Purnawa said the military, which has so far deployed three
\nbattalions and dozens of armored vehicles to guard the company's
\nfacilities, would send in another battalion to protect the
\ncompany's operations.<\/p>\n
Purnomo noted, however, that most ExxonMobil employees were
\nreluctant to return to Aceh because they did not believe the
\nmeasures taken by the military were sufficient to protect them
\nfrom attacks by separatist rebels.<\/p>\n
\"I will report all of these things at the Cabinet meeting,
\nwhich will decide on the ExxonMobil matter,\" Purnomo said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, PT Arun general manager Sunardi said his company
\nwould soon halt its LNG production because of the cut in gas
\nsupplies from ExxonMobil.<\/p>\n
He said ExxonMobil was still supplying the plant with gas from
\nits NSO field in the Sumatra Straits, but the gas was only enough
\nto feed its fuel plants.<\/p>\n
Purnomo insisted, however, that despite Arun's supply
\nproblems, none of the country's LNG customers in Japan or South
\nKorea had indicated they would cancel their LNG purchase
\ncontracts with state oil and gas company Pertamina.<\/p>\n
He said Pertamina would try to meet its commitments to these
\ncustomers by shipping LNG from the Bontang LNG field in East
\nKalimantan, and would ask LNG suppliers in Malaysia and Australia
\nto cover any shortfall.<\/p>\n
He said LNG producers in other countries had experienced
\nsimilar problems, and when they did Pertamina had stepped in to
\nhelp cover their shortfalls.<\/p>\n
\"What is happening to Arun is not a rare case,\" Purnomo said.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/gunmen-fire-on-choppers-carrying-minister-reporters-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }