Oil companies asked to continue operations

Jakarta ? State oil and gas company Pertamina has called on oil production sharing contractors to continue their operations in Indonesia and keep opening their Jakarta and provincial offices despite the possible threats towards their assets from hard-line organizations following the U.S.-led air strikes against Afghanistan.

The company?s management had also sent letters to oil production sharing contractors, advising them to increase their alertness, general affairs senior manager of Pertamina?s management directorate, A. Siddick Nitikusumah, told Petromindo.com today.

Meanwhile, PT Caltex Indonesia?s spokesperson Renvil Alamatsier said today that its Jakarta and Riau offices were still open and that its field activities were continuing.

On Monday, six oil companies temporarily closed their Jakarta offices so as to anticipate possible threats towards their assets from anti-American groups in retaliation for the U.S.- led strikes on Afghanistan. They were Lasmo Oil, Devon Energy, Unocal, ExxonMobil, Vico and BP Indonesia. (godang)