Asia Pulse: SHELL SUSPECTED OF ILLEGALY USING AMBALAT OIL DATA: “Dutch oil giant Shell, which is in the center of tense border dispute between Indonesia and Malaysia, is suspected to have illegally used data about the oil potential of Ambalat…”: “"If Shell bought the oil block offered by Malaysia based on the same data it is tantamount to stealing data…" (ShellNews.net) 9 March 05

JAKARTA, March 9 Asia Pulse - Dutch oil giant Shell, which is in the center of tense border dispute between Indonesia and Malaysia, is suspected to have illegally used data about the oil potential of Ambalat it already sold to other contractor, the Kompas daily reported.

Explorations and Exploitation Director at the Oil and Gas Directorate General Novian Thaib said Shell was awarded the Ambalat oil block off East Kalimanatn by the Indonesian government in 1999 but later it sold the concession to Italian company ENI in 2001.

On February 19, 2005, Shell was awarded the same oil block with different name by Malaysia's Petronas.

The Oil and Gas Directorate General suspected that Shell had kept the data about the oil potential of Ambalat.

"If Shell bought the oil block offered by Malaysia based on the same data it is tantamount to stealing data," Novian said yesterday.

Heri Purnomo, another official of the Oil and Gas Directorate General said the country has a regulation banning the use of oil and gas data abroad without approval by the government.

Indonesia has strongly reacted strongly against Malaysia's claim of the Ambalat area by sending warships to emphasize its own claim of sovereignty in that area.

(ANTARA)