Minister visit oil spill

Minister of Mines and Energy Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono inspected on Thursday the crude oil spilled into the waters of the Cilacap area, Central Java after a King Fisher tanker hit a coral reef on Saturday, several local newspapers reported.

The minister was accompanied director general of oil and gas Rachmat Sudibyo, president of oil and gas company Pertamina Baihaki Hakim.

After the inspection, Bambang told reporters that the tanker accident should be thoroughly investigated by the Ministry of Communication.

He also called on Pertamina to take measures to prevent other parties from blowing up the case to cause social instability.

The 80,000 dead weight ton (DWT), Malta-flagged tanker carrying 600,000 Attaka and Sumatra Light crude oil hit the coral reef on its way to Pertamina's oil refinery in Cilacap.

Kompas reported that some reports blamed the accident on the carelessness of the tanker's captain. He reportedly forced the tanker to pass an area despite the fact its draft size was longer than the depth of the water around the area. The water is 12 meters deep, while the size of the tanker's safe draft is 14.5 meters.

But other reports blamed the accident on the crew of the tugboat, which guided the tanker to the port. The crew of the tugboat guided the tanker to pass the area without first asking the tanker's pilot about the size of its draft.

Pertamina has hired thousands of local fishermen to clean up tens of kilometers of shoreline covered by the crude oil.

The Indonesian Forum for Environment (Walhi) called on Thursday on the government to take punitive measures against the tanker. (*)