ExxonMobil gas production down in Q3 due to Aceh shutdown

World?s largest oil and gas firm ExxonMobil Corporation announced Tuesday that its worldwide gas production during the third quarter of 2001 was 8,597 millions of cubic feet per day.(MMCFD), compared with 8,735 MMCFD in the corresponding quarter last year.

?Worldwide gas production was up about 3 percent, excluding the effect of reduced operations at the Arun facility in Indonesia due to security concerns, ? said the company in its quarterly report.

?However, including the impact of lower Indonesia volumes, worldwide natural gas production was 9,918 MMCFD for the first nine months of 2001 compared with 10,038 MMCFD in 2000?s corresponding period?.

The company?s Indonesian unit ExxonMobil Oil Indonesia suspended its operation in March following a number of attacks from the alleged members of the GAM separatist group in the province. The company resumed partial gas operations in August after the government-mobilized soldiers to protect the gas fields.

EMOI had now resumed full gas operations, however, according to an official from state oil and gas firm Pertamina, it had yet reached full production capacity of 1,600 MMCFD. (alex)