Aceh forms team to monitor oil and gas production

The provincial administration of Aceh has formed a special team to monitor the production and sales of oil and gas from the province, Banda Aceh-based daily Serambi Indonesia reported on Friday.

The team which was formally formed in late 2001 but began active only early this year would use their findings as comparison to the oil and gas production and sales reported by Pertamina and production sharing contractors.

Amrullah, a senior official at the office of the provincial secretary, said in Banda Aceh on Thursday that the team was established to ensure that the local government would receive a fair share from the oil and gas production in the province.

Under the new autonomy law, the local authority would receive 15 percent of the government?s share from oil production and another 35 percent from gas production. Under the production-sharing contract, the central government receives 85 percent from oil production and 65 percent from gas production. (*)