Originally posted by knight of
[email protected] 09, 2007 04:14 pm
i think you guys may had known about the Mud Eruption that happen in Indonesia. and mud has already sinking several village in Porong, East Java.
i wonder what do you guys think it is? what cause it and do you have any theory to make it stop?
Huh. Hadn't heard about this previously.
Apparently it's a mud volcano - and an unnatural disaster.
The most in-depth scientific study so far (http://www.gsajournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-abstract&doi=10.1130%2FGSAT01702A.1) says it's caused by drilling for gas.
And not just that - it's caused by corporate greed, negligence, and cost-cutting. The study says: "We propose that the borehole provided a pressure connection between the aquifers in the limestones and overpressured mud in overlying units. As this was not protected by steel casing, the pressure induced hydraulic fracturing, and fractures propagated to the surface, where pore fluid and some entrained sediment started to erupt." Emphasis added.
Another technical expert says (http://environment.newscientist.com/article/dn11025-indonesian-mud-volcano-caused-by-gas-drilling.html): ""It is standard industry procedure that this kind of drilling requires the use of steel casing to support the borehole, and protect against the pressure of fluids such as water, oil or gas....In the case of Lusi, a limestone water aquifer was drilled into while the lower part of the borehole was not protected by casing."
Technically preventable, but the company chose not to take the necessary precautions. Capitalism at work.
This is of course disputed by an Indonesian government minister who has a financial interest in the company!
Clearly the energy companies involved should be held financially responsible for compensating those affected.
Also the government has a responsibility to evacuate and relocate people as needed. Apparently it hasn't done such a great job there; that's common with capitalist governments' responses to disasters - they just have other priorities.
As far as shutting off a mud volcano, nobody seems to know if that's even technically possible. There's so much pressure....
The second article I linked says a similar event in Brunei "was caused by drilling and it took an international oil company almost 30 years and 20 relief wells before the eruption stopped."
In other words, they never did block it - they had to let out the pressure somewhere else. But is that an option near a major city?
This could get a lot worse. Could take every dime these companies have for compensation, and then some. They're probably looking for somewhere to start hiding assets now....