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Transportation Ministry joins force to mitigate offshore gas spill
The director of the ministry’s Sea and Coast Guard Unit (KPLP), Ahmad, said the Thousands Island Port Authority (KSOP) had established a team, which had gone to the spill location, along with boats to support Pertamina.
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The Transportation Ministry joins force to mitigate the impact of a well kick that was followed by a gas spill in the PT Pertamina Hulu Energi Offshore North West Java (PHE ONWJ) area. (Courtesy of /The Transportation Ministry)
T
he Transportation Ministry has teamed up with State-owned energy holding company Pertamina to handle the impact of a gas well kick that was followed by a spill in the PT Pertamina Hulu Energi Offshore North West Java (PHE ONWJ) area.
The director of the ministry’s Sea and Coast Guard Unit (KPLP), Ahmad, said the Thousands Island Port Authority (KSOP) had established a team, which had gone to the spill location, along with boats to support Pertamina.
“Pertamina has managed to get the situation under control, but KSOP will be ready anytime Pertamina needs help to handle the accident,” said Ahmad on Monday.
Pertamina has set up six teams, deployed 27 boats and placed a boom to contain the gas spill.
Ahmad said the ministry and Pertamina had discussed the current situation and the necessary measures to deal with the accident. He said the accident had not disturbed commercial shipping lanes in the area, but the ministry would still issue a warning so that ships would avoid the affected area.
Pertamina corporate communication vice president Fajriyah Usman said the mitigation team involved credible, competent and experienced resources like those from Boot & Coots, a United States-based private company that had experience handling similar cases in the Gulf of Mexico.
ONWJ block operator Pertamina Hulu Energi (PHE) spokesman Ifki Sukarya said the accident was caused by a dangerous "well kick", an unplanned and often violent release of gas caused by low pressure in a wellbore. He said it started on July 12 and became bigger two days after.
The well kick occurred in the re-activated YYA-1, located beneath the PHE ONWJ’s offshore platform two kilometers north of Karawang, West Java. The kick eventually caused a gas spill that contaminated several beaches in Karawang since Sunday. (nal/bbn)
