NGO threatens to sue govt, Pertamina in court over Sulawesi gas project

Non-government environmental watchdog WALHI has threatened to sue in court the government and state oil and gas firm Pertamina because they had allowed oil producer PT Exspan Tomori Sulawesi to carry out gas exploration activities in a wildlife conservation area in Central Sulawesi, Neraca daily reported on Saturday.

The chairman of the Central Sulawesi office of WALHI, Edmond Leonard, said Exspan, a subsidiary of publicly listed oil producer PT Medco Energi International, had started exploring for natural gas in Toili in Banggai Regency. Exspan had drilled an appraisal gas well in Bangkiriang Wildlife Center which is located in Toili, Edmond said on Thursday in Palu, the capital of Central Sulawesi.

?If Exspan eventually exploits gas in Bangkiriang, we will sue in court government officials and others related to the project,? Edmond said. He made special mention of the minister of energy and mineral resources and the president director of Pertamina. Pertamina is Exspan?s partner in Central Sulawesi.

Bangkiriang is part of Senoro Block, which is one of the two natural gas blocks located in Banggai. The other block is located in Donggi.

Big volumes of natural gas have been found in the blocks. (*)