'Arun owes moral responsibility for the Acehnese'

Liquefied natural gas (LGN) producer PT Arun Natural Gas Liquefaction (NGL) Company does not face financial losses from the stoppage of natural gas production by ExxonMobil Oil Indonesia, but it assumes moral responsibility for the Acehnese following the reduction of its activities, Kompas reported on Saturday.

Arun NGL president Sunardi said in Yogyakarta on Friday that following the reduction of its activities, it drastically affected economic activities of the Acehnese living around its facilities.

"We does not suffer financially. But in front of the Acehnese, morally, we feel uncomfortable, as there are plants, but they don't work. This makes economic activities by people in the surrounding areas go to a halt also, the impacts could affect other factories," he said.

According to Sunardi, the parties suffering much financial losses are the government, state oil and gas company Pertamina and ExxonMobil as the owners of Arun NGL and the operator of the gas fields.

Quoting official statement from Pertamina, Sunardi said, the stoppage of Arun gas production caused US$100 million in potential losses per month.

Sunardi said his company did not face significant security threats, both against his men and against the company's production facilities. The reduction in activities were affected by the stoppage of operation by both Pertamina and ExxonMobil. (*)