Plan to plug Indonesian mud volcano
Geologists and engineers are attempting to plug a ‘mud volcano’ in Sidoarjo in East Java province, Indonesia, using hundreds of concrete balls. As reported in Geographical in November last year, a 50-metre hole has been emitting noxious mud and boiling water that has submerged several villages and factories, and displaced more than 15,000 people.
Engineers have tried building a network of dams to channel some of the liquid mud into the sea with limited success. As Geographical went to press, an experimental plan to plug the hole by inserting around 375 chains of concrete balls weighing between 400 and 500 kilograms each was under way. The engineers are hoping this will help to slow the leak by between 50 and 70 per cent.
Independent experts have blamed the disaster on exploratory drilling for oil by PT Lapindo Brantas, which may have pierced a hydrogen sulphide chamber, forcing the liquid mud to the surface; however, the company maintains that it was caused by increased seismic activity after an earthquake struck the area two days before the mud started flowing, a claim that has received some support from scientists.
Engineers have tried building a network of dams to channel some of the liquid mud into the sea with limited success. As Geographical went to press, an experimental plan to plug the hole by inserting around 375 chains of concrete balls weighing between 400 and 500 kilograms each was under way. The engineers are hoping this will help to slow the leak by between 50 and 70 per cent.
Independent experts have blamed the disaster on exploratory drilling for oil by PT Lapindo Brantas, which may have pierced a hydrogen sulphide chamber, forcing the liquid mud to the surface; however, the company maintains that it was caused by increased seismic activity after an earthquake struck the area two days before the mud started flowing, a claim that has received some support from scientists.
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