The massive Tangguh liquefied natural gas or LNG plant in Indonesia's Papua is continuing to cut its workforce as the completion of its construction work draws near.
A spokesperson for the Tangguh Independent Advisory Panel, George Mitchell, says the project has almost reached the end of its construction phase and will move on to the operational phase soon.
The Jakarta Post reports the panel, an independent ad-hoc team tasked with helping to assess the noncommercial impacts of the Tangguh project on local communities, has just finished its last visit to Papua, with its seven-year term due to end in May.
Mr Mitchell said fewer workers would be required in the operational phase than in the construction phase, which began in 2005.
At that time, there were about 10,000 workers.
There are now about 4,000 workers, and the number could fall to about 1,000.
George Mitchell says the company gave those who have lost their jobs advice on how to find new jobs, and it will identify individual Papuans who have the knowledge, skills and potential to put into the long-term
training program.
