The Cambodian government has been accused of using “unpleasant and unethical” tactics in an attempt to win control of 300,000 barrels of oil, currently on board the MT Strovolos, which was seized in July by Indonesian maritime authorities.
Also at stake is the freedom of at least 19 crew members who manned the vessel chartered by Singaporean firm KrisEnergy to support a much-vaunted attempt to produce oil from a field in the Cambodian sector of the Gulf of Thailand.
They were deployed as production began in December last year at Phase 1A, a small-scale pilot in the Apsara oil field, from which KrisEnergy hoped to retrieve 7,500 barrels per day and provide a major revenue stream for themselves and the Cambodian government.
