Riau residents demand PT Kondur to pay compensation

Local residents in Siak regency, Riau have demanded oil company PT Kondur Petroleum to pay a compensation worth Rp 2 billion for damaging their mangrove trees, Kompas reported on Monday.

Hundreds of residents in Bunsur village in the regency's Sungai Apit district had accused the oil company of causing pollution in the sea territory near their villages. They said that the thick oil spills from the oil pipes had damaged millions of mangrove seeds.

PT Kondur's spokesman, Dahrul, said that the villagers' complaint had been exaggerated. "The oil spills occurred on July 30, but it was only about 50 liters of oil," he said.

Dahrul, however, said that due to the aggressive protests made by the villagers, PT Kondur had agreed to pay 10 percent of the compensation demand or about Rp 275 million.

PT Kondur is the operator of the Malacca Strait block, which is located in the east coast of Riau province, with 34.46 percent of working interest. (*)