Officially, the Sidoarjo mudflow, which has been erupting continuously for 20 years, was caused by an earthquake. An expert’s alternative theory suggests it was triggered by dangerous drilling practices.
By Lachlan Haycock and Heath Dunn
A massive mud volcano in Indonesia that has affected tens of thousands of homes, livelihoods, livestock – not to mention the geology of the surrounding region – is still ongoing.
The blowout occurred at an oil and gas drilling site in Sidoarjo Regency, East Java, operated by the company Lapindo Brantas, in May 2006. It hasn’t stopped since.
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake 250 km away, in Yogyakarta, was at first named as triggering the disaster.
But according to geotechnical analysis from experts such as Mark Tingay, a likely alternative hypothesis names drilling problems in a nearby exploration well as the cause of the blowout.
