Pertamina asking helps to stop crude theft in Sumatra
Thursday, July 5 2012 - 07:23 AM WIB
State owned oil and gas firm PT Pertamina may ask all law enforcement agencies, including the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), to help end rampant theft of its crude in South Sumatra and Jambi.
?The gangs of thieves look like a mafia and have turned more brutal in their action. We consider asking all law enforcement agencies, including KPK, to help stop the thefts,? Bagus Sudaryanto, Operation Director of PT Pertamina EP, told Petromindo.com on Wednesday.
The thefts have reportedly been lasting since 2011, causing huge losses on Pertamina and the government which, under production sharing contract, is entitled to a large portion of the crude output.
The target of the thieves is the crude pipeline linking Tempino, Jambi to Plaju, South Sumatra. The criminals stole the crude channeled through the pipeline using various methods, including illegal tapping. Armed with pistols, some of them once stormed into the guard station of Pertamina and ran away with a bulk of production pipes, according to the press reports.
Pertamina EP?s data say the firm has lost more than 100,000 barrels of crude due to thefts since 2011. In May alone, the firm lost more than 39,000 barrels of crude stolen by the criminals and the amount of stolen crude increased to 59,000 barrels in the following month.
Editing by Johannes Simbolon