Navy to secure gas interests<\/p>\n
Leony Aurora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The nation's Navy is ready to secure oil and gas projects located
\nin Indonesian waters from possible threats, including pirate
\nattacks, sabotage, and damage to underwater pipelines caused by
\ncareless navigation.<\/p>\n
The Oil and Gas Upstream Regulatory Agency (BP Migas),
\nrepresenting the industry, signed a five-year agreement with the
\nNavy on Wednesday to get security back-up in its offshore
\nexploration and exploitation activities.<\/p>\n
Currently, disturbances at sea, which included theft of
\noperational equipment, terror, and ships damaging pipelines as
\nthey dropped anchors carelessly, were not managed professionally,
\nsaid BP Migas chairman Kardaya Warnika.<\/p>\n
\"The areas that most need supervision are those with heavy
\ntraffic, for instance between Batam and Singapore and the Malacca
\nStrait,\" said Kardaya.<\/p>\n
The narrow 960-kilometer-long Malacca Strait, bordered by
\nMalaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, is used by about 50,000 ships
\na year carrying a third of world trade and half its oil supplies.<\/p>\n
Navy Chief Slamet Soebijanto said in his speech that the Navy
\nwould do all that was necessary to prevent, resolve, and punish
\nall kinds of violations of law at sea.<\/p>\n
\"The scope of the agreement includes guarding and securing the
\noffshore oil and gas industry, mapping out the projects, and
\nneutralizing mines in BP Migas' working areas,\" said Soebijanto.<\/p>\n
The Navy would also conduct regular patrols surrounding the
\nproject areas.<\/p>\n
The agreement followed the Ambalat incident in offshore
\nKalimantan, where Indonesia and Malaysia are in dispute over an
\noil-rich maritime area.<\/p>\n
Kardaya said that at the time of the dispute, oil operators in
\nthe area felt unsafe with foreign military ships roaming around.
\n\"They reported it to us and we informed the Navy,\" he added.<\/p>\n
A similar agreement was signed by state oil and gas firm PT
\nPertamina in 1998.<\/p>\n
Another agreement was signed with the National Police to
\nsecure onshore projects, which are considered as vital objects
\nfor the country's interests.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/navy-to-secure-gas-interests-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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