Chevron closes down office on bomb threat

Indonesian unit of US energy giant Chevron Corp. closed down its Jakarta office on Thursday following a bomb threat to the office compound, which is adjacent to a posh shopping mall.

?Chevron can confirm its Jakarta office was closed Thursday 17 March due to a security threat in the local area. Our operations are unaffected and continue as normal. Chevron is working closely with authorities and have taken appropriate securities,? Chevron?s VP Vice President, Policy, Government and Public Affairs Yanto Sianipar said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Elan Biantoro, Spokesperson of upstream oil, gas authority BPMIGAS told Petromindo.Com that the bomb threat was directed to the mall, not to the office compound. ?Police are now combing the mall,? he said.

Chevron is Indonesia?s number one crude producers from its Central Sumatra operations and also the country?s top geothermal producer.

Jakarta has been hit by a series of ?personalized bomb? this week when three bombs, disguised as book packages were sent to three public figures including liberal Moslem intellectual, a police general that is considered to be the mind behind police anti terrorism unit and a leader of youth mass organization. One of the three bombs went off and hurt five people including police officers. (godang)