Pertamina succeeds stopping oil spill on Komering river

State oil and gas company Pertamina has successfully stopped oil flowing from its oil catcher into the Komering River in South Sumatra, a company official was quoted by Sriwijaya Post as saying on Friday.

Pertamina?s Oil Cather 8 in Plaju, South Sumatra, overflowed on Sunday (July 20), and oil from the facility flowed into the Komering River, said Supakso Hardiono, general manager of Pertamina?s Plaju oil processing project.

The company successfully handled the oil spillover Wednesday, Supakso said. He did not say however how much oil had spilled.

Pertamina and the South Sumatra provincial office of environment were continuing to monitor the operation of the company?s oil catcher and the condition of the Komering River, Supakso said.

Meanwhile, Supakso on Friday reported to South Sumatra governor Rosihan Arsyad the development of their efforts to handle the environmental accident. The governor said Pertamina would be held responsible for any environmental damages caused by the oil spillover. (*)