Top officials meet to discuss security at Caltex?s operation

Several top officials from the central government, the military and the Riau provincial administration started a meeting Monday morning at the ministry of energy and mineral resources to discuss security conditions around the operations of American oil and gas company PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia in Riau.

?The meeting is now progress,? an official of the ministry said.

Present at the meeting were among others Coordinating Minister for Social, Political and Security Affairs Agum Gumelar, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro, Riau?s governor Saleh Djasit, vice speaker of the Riau council Djuharman, rector of the Riau University Muchtar Achmad, and a senior staffer of the TNI (Indonesian military) headquarters, whom the official refused to identify.

President of Caltex Pacific Indonesia Humayunbosha, state oil and gas company Pertamina?s director of production sharing management Iin Arifin Takhyan and director general of oil and gas at the ministry of energy and mineral resources Rachmat Sudbyo also took part in the meeting, the official said.

The official said the meeting followed requests from Caltex to protect its operations in Riau, which had been repeatedly troubled by disturbances, including theft.

Caltex is equally owned by American oil and gas firms Chevron and Texaco. (Godang)