Gunmen fire on choppers carrying minister, reporters

By Johannes Simbolon

LHOKSEMAWE, Aceh (JP): Gunmen fired on two helicopters carrying Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro and other officials inspecting gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) operations in Aceh on Tuesday.

Another helicopter carrying journalists covering the minister's visit also was fired on.

There were no casualties in the shootings, but they underlined the surge in violence in the province following the government's decision to launch a military operation against separatist rebels after failing to hammer out a peace deal at the negotiating table.

The incident took place less than one week before President Abdurrahman Wahid is due to visit the province on Monday.

Purnomo was visiting the gas-rich Arun area in North Aceh regency to observe the situation at the natural gas liquefaction plant of PT Arun NGL Co. and the gas fields owned by American oil and gas giant ExxonMobil. His visit came more than one week after both companies stopped or cut production.

ExxonMobil, which is the sole supplier of gas to Arun, halted production at its gas fields because of security concerns, forcing Arun to cut its LNG output.

Bukit Barisan Military Commander Maj. Gen. I.G. Purnawa, who was on board the helicopter with Purnomo, said the shooting took place at about 10 a.m. during the flight from Malikussaleh Airport, owned by PT Arun, in Lhoksemawe to ExxonMobil's gas fields in Lhoksukon.

"(The helicopter) was shot at by unidentified people, and a bullet put a hole in the bottom of the cockpit," Purnawa said.

The helicopter carrying journalists, including a reporter from The Jakarta Post, was fired on shortly before landing at the airport in Lhoksukon.

None of the eight reporters on board the helicopter were aware of the shooting until they were informed of the incident by the helicopter's engineer upon landing.

The minister's visit also was marked by an exchange of gunfire between Army soldiers guarding ExxonMobil's Point A gas terminal in Lhoksukon and suspected separatists. The violence flared while Purnomo and his entourage were waiting to depart to PT Arun's LNG plant in Lhoksemawe.

During the visit, Purnomo met with local community leaders at PT Arun and with ExxonMobil employees in the North Sumatra provincial capital Medan.

ExxonMobil moved all of its employees, except for a number of security guards, to Medan after stopping production at its Arun fields.

Purnomo said the closed-door meetings with the ExxonMobil employees and Lhoksemawe community leaders were meant to gather suggestions and comments ahead of a Cabinet meeting that will discuss the future of ExxonMobi's operations in Aceh.

Purnomo said most of the community leaders expressed their desire for ExxonMobil to resume operations, but he said the Cabinet would decide on the matter.

The military also has urged ExxonMobil to resume its gas production, promising to step up security at the company's facilities.

Purnawa said the military, which has so far deployed three battalions and dozens of armored vehicles to guard the company's facilities, would send in another battalion to protect the company's operations.

Purnomo noted, however, that most ExxonMobil employees were reluctant to return to Aceh because they did not believe the measures taken by the military were sufficient to protect them from attacks by separatist rebels.

"I will report all of these things at the Cabinet meeting, which will decide on the ExxonMobil matter," Purnomo said.

Meanwhile, PT Arun general manager Sunardi said his company would soon halt its LNG production because of the cut in gas supplies from ExxonMobil.

He said ExxonMobil was still supplying the plant with gas from its NSO field in the Sumatra Straits, but the gas was only enough to feed its fuel plants.

Purnomo insisted, however, that despite Arun's supply problems, none of the country's LNG customers in Japan or South Korea had indicated they would cancel their LNG purchase contracts with state oil and gas company Pertamina.

He said Pertamina would try to meet its commitments to these customers by shipping LNG from the Bontang LNG field in East Kalimantan, and would ask LNG suppliers in Malaysia and Australia to cover any shortfall.

He said LNG producers in other countries had experienced similar problems, and when they did Pertamina had stepped in to help cover their shortfalls.

"What is happening to Arun is not a rare case," Purnomo said.