Pertamina EP forced to temporarily shut down well after landslide

By Godang Sitompul

PT Pertamina EP has been forced to shut down an active well in Sanga-sanga District, Kutai Kertanegara Regency, East Kalimantan, for four hours following a landslide incident on Tuesday which caused leaks at its crude pipeline.

The temporary shutdown has caused production loss of more than 400 barrels, said Pertamina EP Public Relations Manager, Agus Amperianto. ?The well has resume operation,? he told Petromindo.com Thursday.

Agus said that the landslide reportedly may be caused by the mining operation of PT Ameli Energi, which operates at the edge of a cliff, near Pertamina EP?s oil and gas operation.

Kompas quoted Public and Government Relations Staff of Pertamina Asset V Sanga-sanga, Arie Fahlupi as saying that the company has already warned in 2011 of the threat to its oil and gas operation posed by the mining operation.

He said that the company will file complaints about the incident to the related local authorities and to the upstream oil and gas authority SKK Migas.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak