Oil thieves in South Sumatra are increasingly brutal

By Godang Sitompul

Employees of PT Pertamina EP are fearful of the increasing brutality of the illegal crude tappers at the Tempino-Plaju oil pipeline route in South Sumatra, in which they resort to terror and violence using traditional gunshot in carrying their acts.

Because of the oil theft, the crude losses suffered by Pertamina EP reach 7 percent per day out of the average crude pumping of 11,000 bpd. ?Oil theft has been on the rise lately,? Public Relations Manager of Pertamina EP, Agus Amperianto told Petromindo.com Monday.

He said that while the company has intensified security measures with the help of the police, its employees have endured physical terror including gun shot attempts.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak