ExxonMobil expected to resume full operation on Monday: Pertamina

ExxonMobil Oil Indonesia Inc., a subsidairy of American oil and gas giant ExxonMobil Corp., was expected to fully re-operate its Arun gas fields in Aceh on Monday, an official of state oil andg gas company Pertamina said Friday.

Spokesman for Pertamina's directorate of production sharing contract management Sidick A. Nitikusuma told Petromindo. Com that preparatory works for the start-up of the gas fields, including well and pipeline testing, had been 95 percent completed.

All the wells and pipelines are still working well, according to Sidick.

"Thus, if everything is running as scheduled, ExxonMobil will resume a full operation on Monday," Sidick said.

Earlier, Pertamina's upstream director Iin Arifin Takhyan voiced optimism that ExxonMobil would be able to partially resume its gas operation Friday.

ExxonMobil suspended its gas operation early March due to security problems, forcing nearby PT Arun NGL Co, which is owned by Pertamina and the American company, to halt its liquefied natural gas (LNG) production and exports.

After months of pressure by the government, the American company agreed to resume its gas operation and started preparatory works two weeks ago. (Epin)