Oil production in Kenli county, East China's Shandong province, was reduced by 41 tons last weekend after two 78-year-old residents of an old age home cut a high voltage cable in the oil field, bringing 46 oils wells to a standstill, China News Service reported.

On April 8, workers at Shengli Oil Field reported to the Binbei branch of Binhai police that a section of the high voltage cable had been cut off.

According to Binbei police, two men surnamed Ding and Chen; residents of a government-run old age home in Kenli county, found a fallen high voltage line utility pole on the ground when they were out picking garbage.

The two returned with tools and cut off part of the high voltage line. They stripped the cable for aluminum wires, which they then sold to scrap collection stations to get some pocket money, police said.

Police said they were able to trace the wires at two scrap dealers to the two men.

The men were released back to the old age home the same day due to their age and infirmities, police said.