Pertamina issues warning to ExxonMobil Oil
Pertamina issues warning to ExxonMobil Oil
JAKARTA (JP): The president of state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina, Baihaki Hakim, said he asked ExxonMobil Oil Indonesia Inc., a unit of American energy giant ExxonMobil Corp., to resume its work in Aceh, warning he would demand a change in the company's leadership if it refused to do so.
Baihaki said during a workshop in Anyer, Banten, that Pertamina, on behalf of the government, had asked the U.S. firm to resume preparations for the restart of its operations during a two-day emergency meeting in the North Sumatra provincial capital of Medan, which ended on Wednesday.
He said that if the company refused to do so, Pertamina would ask ExxonMobil's headquarters in the United States to replace its operation leaders in Indonesia with ones who would work in Aceh.
"As an example, the civil war in Angola did not stop oil operations in that country. I think ExxonMobil should be able to do the same, as the key requirements for dealing with this situation are guts and courage," he said.
Baihaki said the government promised to boost security to protect ExxonMobil's gas fields in Lhok Sukon.
"Now the ball is in ExxonMobil's court, and it seems they are willing to continue with the operations. They need support," Baihaki said as quoted by Antara.
ExxonMobil halted its gas operation in Aceh in March due to attacks blamed on the Free Aceh Movement. As a result, the nearby PT Arun NGL was forced to halt its liquefied natural gas (LNG) production.
The company agreed last week to begin preparatory work for the resumption of its gas operation, but it halted the work following a bomb blast near its gas fields on Monday morning.
Baihaki said he would not tolerate any attempt by ExxonMobil to further delay the resumption of its operations.
He said Indonesia was losing US$100 million a month and had its reputation as a reliable LNG supplier tarnished by ExxonMobil's decision to suspend its operations.
Meanwhile, Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Adm. Widodo A.S. said TNI currently had no plan to send reinforcements to safeguard ExxonMobil's operations, saying the number of troops now stationed around the company's facilities was sufficient.
TNI has deployed more than 2,000 soldiers to protect the company's facilities.
"We have discussed ExxonMobil's case twice during Cabinet meetings on social and security affairs. As far as security is concerned, there is no reason for ExxonMobil not to resume its operations.
"We are providing security," Widodo was quoted by Antara as saying during a flight from the East Nusa Tenggara capital of Kupang to Jakarta.
Widodo accompanied Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and Security Affairs Agum Gumelar on a visit of East Timorese refugee camps in East Nusa Tenggara. (jsk)