Aberkha, Cinta Natomas FSOs hit by high waves

By Godang Sitompul

The Aberkha floating storage and offloading (FSO) vessel owned by PT Pertamina Hulu Energi (PHE) and the Cinta Natomas FSO owned by JOB Pertamina-Petrochina East Java (PPEJ), in offshore East Java, have stopped operation since early this week after it was hit by high waves amid bad weather condition.

?The hose of the Cinta Natomas FSO leaked at 7 in the morning (January 21), while hose of the Aberkha cut off on January 20 at 6.30 in the afternoon,? said Gde Pradnyana, Secretary of the Upstream Oil and Gas Authority SKK Migas to Petromindo.com Wednesday.

PHE Corporate Secretary Wahidin Nurluzia confirmed the incident, saying that crude pumping into the Aberkha has been stopped. ?We?re monitoring the entire operations of PHE in relation to the current bad weather condition,? he told Petromindo.com.

General Manger of JOB PPEJ, Edy Firtz also confirmed that there has been a force majeure amid high waves and extreme win, which had cut off the hose of the Cinta Natomas FSO. ?God Willing, if the weather improves, the repair work could be completed within the next few days,? he said.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak