Caltex?s gas processing plant in Pinang cannot be operated

Caltex Pacific Indonesia?s gas processing plant in Pinang village of the Kubu district in Rokan Hilir, Riau cannot be operated due to damages made by some irresponsible people during a protest against the company recently, Kompas reported on Monday.

Caltex?s communications and media relations manager, Hanafi Kadir, said in Riau?s capital, Pekanbaru over the weekend that the blockade of the gas processing plant by the local residents between February 17 and 20 recently had caused a damage on the compressor of the plant, which has the capacity to process gas of about 7 million cubic feet per day or equivalent to 1,150 barrels per day.

Total loss suffered due to the halt in the operation of the plant has reached about US$1.18 million or equivalent to Rp 10.40 billion due to the inability to process the gas, he said.

A group of people in Kubu district blocked the accessing road to Caltex?s processing plant between February 17 and 20 recently following a delay in the repair works of the seriously damaged road in the district.

Hanafi said that the repair works had been temporarily halted due to the withdrawal of its contractor after it carried the repair work on some parts of the road. "In fact, Caltex was in the process of negotiation with other contractor when the blockade was being carried out," he said. (*)