CNOOC asked to renew AMDAL document
Tuesday, October 12 2004 - 02:49 AM WIB
Kosasih Wirahadikusumah, the head of the Jakarta environmental agency, said on Monday that the Chinese company's AMDAL document was no longer enough to meet its enhanced production and processing activities.
He acknowledged that CNOOC had submitted a new AMDAL document following the takeover of the Pemanukan oil concession area from MAXUS oil company in 2002. "But the new AMDAL document still needs an updating since it has yet to include the company's additional activities such as the shipment of gas to Indonesia Power," he said.
The condition of the undersea pipes in the Pemanukan oil block, which has been in operation for more than 30 years, should also be reviewed. "For such old facilities, the possibility of being leaked is quite high," he added.
The Jakarta environmental agency and BP Migas, the government's agency in charge of oil and gas exploration and production activities is currently investigating the sources of the mysterious oil spills which covered hectares of sea area in the Seribu island recently.
The investigation team suspected that the source of the oil spills came from nearby oil exploration and production projects including those from CNOOC's Pemanukan oil block. (*)