18 Die in Illegal Oil Drilling Amid Poor Monitoring
Illegal oil drilling is rampant all over the country. Locals rely on it to earn a living while disregarding safety. It is high time to curb the illegal practice.
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ANTARA FOTO/RAHMAD
The burned-out frame of a motorcycle is pictured on Wednesday (25/4/2018) at the site of an illegal oil well that caught fire in Kamar Dingin hamlet of Pasir Putih village, Ranto Panjang Peureulak, East Aceh regency, Aceh. The fire left 10 people dead and dozens injured.
IDI RAYEUK, KOMPAS – The monitoring and prosecution of illegal oil drilling remains poor. Worker safety is often neglected. Consequently, when oil wells explode, such as the one in Pasir Putih village, Rantau Peureulak district, East Aceh regency, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, on early Wednesday (25/4/2018), many people died. As of Wednesday night, reports said that 18 had died and another 41 had sustained burns from the incident.
The oil well exploded at around 2 a.m., after locals drilled into it using traditional means. The police are still investigating the case. Aceh Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Misbahul Munawar said that a blowout had occurred just before the explosion. The blowout caught fire, which got big and led to the explosion. “Locals around the oil well were caught in the blaze,” he said.
Aceh Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBA) chief Teuku Ahmad Dadek said that 18 had died from the incident. Most had sustained burns on more than 70 percent of their bodies. “Those who died had been at the drilling site when the explosion occurred,” Dadek said.
Up to Wednesday night, firefighters were still battling the blaze at the drilling site. Four fire trucks were deployed to the site but the fire reached 75 meters high and overwhelmed the firefighters. Victims were treated at Zubir Mahmud regional general hospital and Graha Bunda hospital in Idi Rayeuk, Sultan Abdul Aziz Syah hospital in Peureulak, Zainal Abidin hospital in Banda Aceh and Adam Malik hospital in Medan.
Since 2013
Oil drilling in Rantau Peureulak had been ongoing since 2013. The region is known for its oil reserves. In the colonial era, the Dutch managed an oil refinery there. Locals drill into the area as they know there is oil under their feet. Some worked with investors while others drilled on their own.
Drilling techniques used are similar to those used in drilling water wells. The drill bit is put into the ground at a depth of 100 to 250 meters. Crude oil is then released from under the ground and channeled through pipes and hoses into drums. One well can produce between five and 20 drums of crude oil. The oil will then be sold to North Sumatra. After six months, the well can reproduce oil.
Aceh Legislative Council (DPRA) member Iskandar Alfaraki, a resident of East Aceh, said that thousands of locals relied on traditional oil drilling as their livelihood. Iskandar said that, while the oil wells were indeed illegal, the government should not blame locals who work at the drilling site. “The government should train the people on how to drill oil wells properly. This is purely human error and serves as a lesson for better management,” he said.
Aceh Governor Irwandi Yusuf had ordered for a complete stop to all oil drilling in Rantau Peureulak until a relevant policy was in place. “The focus right now is on treating victims,” he said.
A member of the North Sumatra branch of the Indonesian Association of Geologists (IAGI), Sumintarto, said that Rantau Peureulak was a management area of state oil company Pertamina EP Asset I Rantau, based in Kuala Simpang. Old oil well management is regulated under Energy and Mineral Resources Ministerial Regulation No. 1/2008. Locals can establish cooperatives and sell drilled oil to Pertamina to be processed in either Dumai or Cilacap.
“This is purely for people’s welfare,” he said.
Hospital treatment
Adam Malik general hospital emergency department head Utama Abdi Tarigan said in Medan that the hospital was treating two of the victims, identified as Zainal Abidin, 36, and Heri Herliza, 19. Zainal suffered from 99 percent burns to his body while Heri had 90 percent burns. "Both are in critical condition and receiving treatment in the emergency room,” Utama said.
Zainal’s wife Julia, 40, said that her husband had worked in illegal oil drilling for five years. Zainal worked from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Many locals share Zainal’s profession. They receive their payment only after they find oil.
Sultan Abdul Aziz Syah regional general hospital ambulance driver Ery Asrianda, 30, said in Peureulak that he arrived at the exploded oil well at around 2:30 a.m. but was hindered from rescuing victims due to the huge blaze. “At the center of the blaze, the fire was 15 to 20 meters high. On the surrounding pool of oil, the fire was 1.5 meters high. We could only evacuate victims we found on the periphery some 30 minutes later,” he said.
In Yogyakarta, Upstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Special Task Force (SKKMigas) chief Amien Sunaryadi said that the exploded oil well was illegal and that many other illegal oil drilling sites existed in regions across the country. “SKKMigas has ascertained that the explosion took place in an illegal oil well. This shows how dangerous illegal wells can be,” Amien said.
Illegal oil wells are operating in many regions, including East Java, South Sumatra and Aceh. SKKMigas planned to put a stop to such illegal activities. “In the future, SKKMigas increase its preventive measures against illegal drilling,” Amien said.
The spokesperson of Pertamina EP, a subsidiary of state-owned energy giant Pertamina, Roberth MV Dumatubun, said that the exploded oil well was located in Pertamina EP’s work area. Asset and work area management is carried out in a joint-operation (KSO) deal with PT Aceh Timur Kawai Energy, which is responsible for managing oil and gas operational management in the area with Pertamina. “Pertamina has deployed an evacuation team, fire trucks and ambulances. This was illegal drilling that did not adhere to drilling safety procedures,” Roberth said.
