Indonesian experts seeking end to mud volcano
February 22nd, 2008
JAKARTA, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) — A group of Indonesian mining experts and public figures have launched an attempt to stop the mudflow in the East Java town of Sidoarjo that has swallowed 11 villages and thousands of houses since it erupted in May 2006.
    The group said it would use relief well technology to stop the mudflow, and conduct fund-raising activities to finance the project, local newspaper The Jakarta Post reported Friday.
    Rudi Rubiandini, a drilling expert of the Bandung Institute of Technology, said that by drilling a relief well to get to the source of the mudflow, which lies at a depth of 2,000 to 3,000 meters, they would be able to plug the source.
    He said the source could be destroyed by injecting mud with higher specific gravity and channeling the hot salty water, which produces mud after mixing with clay, to the earth’s surface via the relief well.
    Another possible solution is to explode layers around the source to close the crack from which the water flows, he added.
    ”Such a method requires six months of preparations, but will effectively destroy the mudflow source within three hours,” said Rudi, who is also the former head of the independent team investigating the mudflow.
    He said the effort would cost between 50 million and 70 million U.S. dollars.
| Editor: Du Guodong |
Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english
Entry Filed under: East Java News
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