INDONESIA – Indonesia wildfire threatens BP’s Tangguh LNG operations
A wildfire in Indonesia’s eastern Papua region had moved to within approximately 100 metres of a condensate tank at BP’s Tangguh liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility, leading authorities to deploy additional security personnel and prepare for a potential evacuation, according to the upstream oil and gas regulator SKK Migas.
The blaze, which had spread through scrubland and forest in the vicinity of Tangguh’s operations in Teluk Bintuni, West Papua province, had previously been around 600 metres from the facility, SKK Migas chief Djoko Siswanto said.
Provincial and district police forces had been sent to the site to help secure the LNG facilities, Djoko said in a statement issued on Sunday.
Smoke from the wildfire had reached the operational area, prompting workers at the facility to wear protective masks. Authorities had also prepared contingency plans to evacuate personnel if conditions deteriorated.
Efforts to tackle the fire from the ground had been made more difficult by the terrain and conditions around the facility. As a result, SKK Migas and BP Tangguh had deployed aircraft to assist with aerial firefighting operations.
The regulator had also been seeking three additional aircraft to strengthen efforts to contain the blaze from the air, Djoko said.
Inspector General Ibnu, SKK Migas’ internal supervisor, had travelled to the site to help coordinate the emergency response alongside BP Tangguh and other relevant authorities.
SKK Migas had continued to monitor developments and coordinate with BP Tangguh, security forces and other government agencies in an effort to prevent the wildfire from reaching the production facilities.
Located in Bintuni Bay, BP’s Tangguh project had been Indonesia’s largest LNG production facility and had played an important role in the country’s LNG exports as well as its domestic natural gas supply.
Photo credit: BP Berau Ltd. All rights reserved.