Caltex operation returns to normal as residents end blockade

The operation of PT Caltex Pasific Indonesia in Riau province has returned to normal after protesting residents end the blockade in some of the company's oilrigs, Bisnis Indonesia reported on Tuesday.

The oil giant's manager for communications and media relations Poedyo Oetomo said in Pekanbaru on Monday that the protesting residents had agreed the end the blockade and negotiated with the company's officials.

The protests were part of a series of demonstrations staged against the oil giant since early this year has caused a major loss to the company. Although some of the protests were not so big in nature but their impacts were fatal, causing closure of production activities in most of oil rigs in the area because the blockage in roads leading to the oil production site had prevented workers from doing their jobs.

Caltex said it suffered a loss in crude oil production of about 30,000 barrel per day (bpd) when residents' protests reached its peak.

The demand of the protests varied from asking the company to provide jobs for the locals to paying a fair compensation for the land used by the oil company. (*)