Pertamina urges oil contractors to stay open

Indonesia's state oil company Pertamina on Monday urged all foreign contractors to operate as usual despite threats from radical Muslim groups following U.S.-led strikes against Afghanistan, Reuters reported on Monday.

According to Petromindo.com six oil companies -- ExxonMobil, Devon Energy, Unocal, BP Indonesia, Lasmo Oil, and Vico ? had temporarily closed offices in Jakarta but had maintained off and onshore field operations across the archipelago.

``We have sent a letter to all contractors asking them to keep their offices open and to operate (in the field),'' official Sidick Nitikusuma told reporters.

He said offices of Indonesia's biggest oil producer PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia -- jointly owned by U.S. Chevron Corp and Texaco Inc. -- remained open.

A BP source said the company decided to temporarily close its office because it did not want to risk the safety of its employees.

International schools closed and the U.S., Australian and British embassies urged nationals to stay inside on Monday as the small but vocal radical Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) threatened to hunt foreigners and destroy foreign targets.

It also urged millions of Muslims in Indonesia to lay siege to the U.S. embassy in Jakarta on Monday afternoon.

But Nitikusuma felt some foreign companies had overeacted.

``We think that their (foreign firms') fears are a bit exaggerated. We hope it will be back to normal tomorrow -- after all, the government has guaranteed the safety of foreigners,'' he said.

Indonesia, whose struggling economy is heavily dependent on oil and gas revenues, is Asia's only OPEC member. (*)