Residents threaten to halt Santa Fe?s drilling activities

Residents in Tuban, East Java have threatened to halt drilling activities at Santa Fe Tuban?s oil wells near their residential areas if the oil company, which operates the oil wells under a joint operating contract with state owned oil and gas company Pertamina, refused to protect the villagers from poisonous hydrogen cyanide coming from the oil wells.

The threat was made on Wednesday during a meeting between residents and representative of Joint operating body (JOB) Pertamina-Santa Fe Tuban.

In the meeting, the residents demanded the company to provide a free medical treatment, compensation payment to victims and to establish around-the-clock emergency medical service, one of the villagers told Koran Tempo.

Santa Fe had in principle agreed to meet the demand during the meeting but the residents demanded the company to issue a written statement regarding its readiness to meet the three-point demand, the villager said.

At least 10 people living near the company?s oil concession area have been recently hospitalized after inhaling poisonous gas from the company?s oil wells. (*)