Haze cuts Indonesia's oil production as pollution affects workers

Jakarta

INDONESIA's forest fires are cutting the country's crude oil production and briefly shut a BP plc gas plant this month, in the first signs the haze pollution is affecting industry.

Haze from the fires on Sumatra island means oil fields have to undergo more frequent maintenance, and staff are unable to work properly because of the poor air quality, Elan Biantoro, a spokesman at upstream oil and gas regulator SKK Migas, said on Tuesday. Crude oil output has fallen below 800,000 barrels per day, compared with an average of 800,500 barrels a day in September, though Mr Biantoro couldn't say how much the drop was.