District Government Curb Illegal Miners

    The Bojonegoro Regency government plans to crack down on illegal miners operating at old oil wells in Wonocolo, Kedewan District, Bojonegoro Regency. This crackdown is a repressive measure and a last resort, said Agus Supriyanto, Head of the Bojonegoro Regency Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Agency. Recent data indicates that the majority of miners, buyers, and refiners operating at old wells come from outside the region.

    The number of buyers from Kedewan District was 71, while from outside the district there were 137. Fifty-five were investors from outside the region involved in the management of old wells. Meanwhile, there were 385 refiners, or oil furnaces, operating at the end of 2015. This number has now decreased to 180, some of whom are traditional miners from outside the Bojonegoro area.

    Currently, there are 725 traditional oil wells in Kedewan, with approximately 2,500 miners. The plan is to conduct outreach in Hargomulyo Village, involving approximately 130 people from youth leaders, the community, the village government, miners, buyers, and refiners. This outreach is expected to eliminate the need for enforcement. However, if there are still miners, refiners, or buyers from outside the area, enforcement will be necessary.

    This regulation serves as a warning to investors from outside the district, buyers from outside the province, and miners from outside the district to stop operating the old wells in Wonocolo. This regulation is an effort to improve the welfare of residents living near the old oil wells in Wonocolo. Therefore, traditional miners, refiners, and buyers from Kedewan District will continue to operate. The management of the old wells will continue, managed by local residents.

    Buyers are only permitted to operate in the area surrounding the drilling site, specifically for transporting oil from the wellhead to the refinery. Refiners will also receive training from Pertamina EP Asset 4, the owner of the mining work area (WKP). Therefore, the refined product is not sold abroad but is instead delivered to Pertamina EP Asset 4 at a very low price.

According to Cepu Asset-4 Field Manager Agus Amperianto, illegal refinery operators and buyers from outside Bojonegoro Regency often use old wells as an excuse to obtain permits or legal standing. Unscrupulous Village Cooperative Unit administrators or associations only use them to store illegal oil within their permitted work areas. Their primary goal is not to deliver their production to Pertamina at a very low price, but rather to sell it to illegal receivers, traders, or refiners at a higher price than Pertamina. Theft and illegal sales are escalating.

Koran Sindo, Page-4, Thursday, Nov-17, 2016