Police cooperate with army to protect oil fields in Riau

The police, in cooperation with the army, have launched a special operation to curb growing criminal activities in oil fields in Riau, which are mostly operated under a production-sharing contract with PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia (CPI).

The special operation, which involves 400 personnel from the local police?s headquarter and army command, is enforced on 11 critical areas in the province?s oil fields, which have become the target of theft recently.

S. Pendiangan, the head of the public affairs of the Riau police, said that the special operation would be carried for a month. ?After a month, we will evaluate whether it will go ahead or not,? he said.

The special operation was launched because the growing criminal activities such as thefts, the blockade of oil wells by the locals had caused a great loss to the state, he said. He denied that the operation was made to protect the American company?s assets against the possible attacks from international terrorists.

A senior American official recently warned Indonesia against the growing activities on international terrorists from the Middle East in the country.

CPI?s spokesman Poedyo Oetomo said that criminal activities on the company?s oil fields had taken place since early 1998. The thieves generally stole oil production equipment, electricity wires and other facilities.

?The theft takes place almost every day,? he said, adding that the company suffered a financial loss of about $1 million a month due to the theft. The criminal activities the blockade of oil wells has also disturbed the oil production.(*)