Caltex regrets news report

Caltex regrets news report

JAKARTA (JP): Oil company PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia denied
on Tuesday it backed the Riau provincial administration's demand
to take over full ownership of the Coastal Plains Pekanbaru oil
block.

"Caltex has firmly maintained its policy of being apolitical,
and not getting itself involved or interfering in any political
issue," company corporate communications manager Harry Bustaman
said in a statement.

He said Caltex deeply regretted a report by Antara news
agency, quoted by The Jakarta Post on Feb. 8, 2000, which he said
made it seem as if Caltex sided with the Riau provincial
administration in its dispute with the central government over
the rights to the block.

In the article, Caltex spokesman Poedyo was quoted as saying
Caltex did not mind if Riau took over the block when Caltex's
contract on it expired in 2001, and the company was ready to
operate the block in the future if it was trusted to do so by the
provincial administration.

Harry said: "The information given out was intended to say
that Caltex could not be involved in any discussion between the
government of Indonesia and Riau province about who held the
mining rights ... but that as a company we would be ready to work
with whomever the Indonesian government decided had the
responsibility."

"The article ... was taken out of context and missed the real
message about Caltex's position on the issue," he added. (jsk)