Riau residents block Exspan's oil production facilities
Monday, January 8 2001 - 05:00 AM WIB
Residents of Paya Rumbai villages in Siberida district, Riau have since the middle of December blocked access road leading to oil wells of PT Exspan Nusantara as the oil company denied to meet their demand to provide them with power supply, Riau Pos reported on Monday.
The daily reported that 20 units of the oil company's oil drilling facilities in the Paya Rumbai, which produced about 300 barrels of crude oil per day, had stopped operation.
The blockade has taken place since December 17 and it has no indication that the villagers would end their protests soon.
Sources said that the blockade was also joined by students.
"They carry out the protests because the company has paid no attention at all to the local people's welfare," one resident said. "Actually providing power supply to the villagers' houses is not so expensive. But the company refused to meet their demand," he added.
The head of the security of the oil company Lirik Karim said that the company had promised to provide financial assistance of about Rp 30 million and a power generator with a capacity of 30 KwH. But the assistance had been cancelled because the villagers continued blocking the road to the company's oil wells.(*)