Eight workers have been injured after an onshore gas pipeline at PetroChina’s Jabung producing onshore asset reportedly exploded in Jambi province on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.
The incident occurred on 18 December after the workers had completed repairs on a 12-inch diameter gas pipeline — part of the Jabung asset infrastructure — near Pematang Buluh village, reported news website voi.id.
Jabung field manager Arief Hari Suseno said that PetroChina is conducting a field investigation to determine the cause of the accident.
“This incident also has no impact on the daily production of average oil and gas from the Jabung Working Area,” he said in a statement received by VOI.
All of the injured workers were reported as being stable as of Sunday evening although six were due to be taken to the Indonesian capital Jakarta for further medical treatment.
“PetroChina's management ensures that all workers will receive the best treatment they need. We will also continue to involve the family in the recovery process," Jabung general manager, Wang Qilin, was quoted by kumparan.com.
A representative of Indonesia’s upstream regulator SKK Migas told local media that the agency is strictly supervising the investigation into the incident and would continue to monitor developments from the ongoing investigations.
"We continue to monitor developments in the field, as far as we know from the field team that the activities carried out by the PetroChina team are in accordance with the proper procedures and in accordance with applicable regulations," said head of SKK Migas’ South Sumatra Representative Office, Anggono Mahendrawan.
PetroChina management and SKK Migas officials have visited the Jabung field as part of the investigative process.
Anggono added that the upstream watchdog would tighten its supervision of all activities carried out by Cooperation Contract Contractors (operators in Indonesia) so that incidents like this would not be expected to happen again.
"Because of this, in terms of keeping production stable, all upstream oil and gas activities are required to continue to pay attention to work and environmental safety," he said.
Upstream has approached PetroChina Indonesia for comment.
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