Sidoarjo
Encyclopedia
Sidoarjo is a regency (kabupaten) of East Java
, Indonesia
.
Sidoarjo is bordered by Surabaya
city and Gresik regency to the north, by Pasuruan
regency to the south, by Mojokerto
regency to the west and by the Madura Strait
to the east. It has an area of 634.89 km², making it the smallest regency in East Java. As of 2000, Sidoarjo had a population of 1,549,883. The regency is part of the urban planning region surrounding Surabaya, known as 'Gerbangkertosusila
'.
well being drilled by Lapindo Brantas, an oil well company that is part of a conglomerate owned by Coordinating Minister for the People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie
. Gas and hot mud started spewing from the well on May 28, when the drill penetrated a layer of liquid sediment. Attempts to pump concrete down the well did not stop the flow. While some scientists have speculated that the earthquake
that struck Yogyakarta on May 27, the day before the well erupted, may have cracked the ground, creating potential pathways for the mud to reach the surface, others have suggested that the drilling procedure was faulty by not using a casing. This is likely to be incorrect as technical papers on the subject showed that there were up to four sets of casing installed and cemented in the well. Some 50,000 cubic metres of hot mud were erupting every day as of August; in September, the amount increased to some 125,000 cubic metres daily. On September 26 barriers built to hold back the mud failed, resulting in the flooding of more villages. Gus Maksum, one of the thousands of Sidoarjo villagers displaced by the mud flow gives a detailed first-hand account of the first year of the disaster in his memoir Titanic Made By Lapindo. As of late September 2006 scientists are saying that the eruption may be a mud volcano
forming, and may be impossible to stop.
East Java
East Java is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the eastern part of the island of Java and includes neighboring Madura and islands to its east and to its north East Java is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the eastern part of the island of Java and includes neighboring Madura and...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
.
Sidoarjo is bordered by Surabaya
Surabaya
Surabaya is Indonesia's second-largest city with a population of over 2.7 million , and the capital of the province of East Java...
city and Gresik regency to the north, by Pasuruan
Pasuruan
Pasuruan is a city and regency of East Java, Java....
regency to the south, by Mojokerto
Mojokerto
Mojokerto is one of the districts in East Java Province, Indonesia. It is located 40 km southwest of Surabaya, and constitutes one of the regional units of Gerbangkertosusila Development .-Geographic...
regency to the west and by the Madura Strait
Madura Strait
Madura Strait is a stretch of water that separates the Indonesian islands of Java and Madura. The islands of Kambing, Giliraja, Genteng, and Ketapang lie in the Strait....
to the east. It has an area of 634.89 km², making it the smallest regency in East Java. As of 2000, Sidoarjo had a population of 1,549,883. The regency is part of the urban planning region surrounding Surabaya, known as 'Gerbangkertosusila
Gerbangkertosusila
Gerbangkertosusila is an acronym of "Gresik Bangkalan Mojokerto Surabaya Sidoarjo Lamongan", a main area in East Java consisting of those six cities and regencies....
'.
Mud flow 2006
Since May 2006, more than 10,000 people in the Porong subdistrict have been displaced by the hot mud flowing from a natural gasNatural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
well being drilled by Lapindo Brantas, an oil well company that is part of a conglomerate owned by Coordinating Minister for the People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie
Aburizal Bakrie
In this Indonesian name, the name "Bakrie" is a family name, and the person should be referred to by the family name "Bakrie".Aburizal Bakrie is an Indonesian entrepreneur and politician.- Family business :...
. Gas and hot mud started spewing from the well on May 28, when the drill penetrated a layer of liquid sediment. Attempts to pump concrete down the well did not stop the flow. While some scientists have speculated that the earthquake
May 2006 Java earthquake
The May 2006 Java earthquake occurred at 05:54 local time on 27 May 2006 , in the Indian Ocean around south-southwest of the Indonesian city of Yogyakarta, near Galur, on the southern side of the island of Java , 10 km below the seabed, with a magnitude of 6.2, according to the U.S....
that struck Yogyakarta on May 27, the day before the well erupted, may have cracked the ground, creating potential pathways for the mud to reach the surface, others have suggested that the drilling procedure was faulty by not using a casing. This is likely to be incorrect as technical papers on the subject showed that there were up to four sets of casing installed and cemented in the well. Some 50,000 cubic metres of hot mud were erupting every day as of August; in September, the amount increased to some 125,000 cubic metres daily. On September 26 barriers built to hold back the mud failed, resulting in the flooding of more villages. Gus Maksum, one of the thousands of Sidoarjo villagers displaced by the mud flow gives a detailed first-hand account of the first year of the disaster in his memoir Titanic Made By Lapindo. As of late September 2006 scientists are saying that the eruption may be a mud volcano
Mud volcano
The term mud volcano or mud dome are used to refer to formations created by geo-excreted liquids and gases, although there are several different processes which may cause such activity. Hot water mixes with mud and surface deposits. Mud volcanoes are associated with subduction zones and about 700...
forming, and may be impossible to stop.