Pertamina EP Field Cepu Help Fire Fires Illegal Oil Wells In Blora

JAKARTA - Pertamina EP Field Cepu also helped efforts to extinguish the illegal oil well fire that occurred in Dukuh Gendono, Gandu Village, Bogorejo District, Blora Regency, Central Java.

As of Monday (18/8) afternoon, the fire had not been successfully extinguished due to non-standard well construction constraints.

The Superintendent HSSE (Health, Safety, Security, and Environment) of Pertamina EP Field Cepu, Indra Firmanuddin, explained that the illegal oil well was not equipped with a well head, so the extinguishing process was very difficult.

"There are several steps that we have taken. First, efforts to cool down the area around the location because the temperature is quite hot and close to residential areas and agricultural land for residents," said Indra at the scene.

After that, he said, his party tried to break the chain of fire triangles by reducing oxygen supply, by closing well points using soil.

"Because this well is made non-standard, there is nowellhead or adequate equipment, the best option is to close the hotspots with soil media," he said.

Indra explained that the Pertamina team is also preparing further steps in the form of cooling (cooling) so that the surrounding area is safe for working officers.

"We hope that gas levels can be eliminated, so that the fire can be extinguished immediately and not spread to other places," he said.

He admitted that the main obstacle was the absence of standard equipment in the people's oil well.

"The difficulty is because this well is done illegally, without safety standards. There is no head of the well or tools to stop the flow of gas," he said.

It is known that the illegal oil well fire occurred on Sunday (17/8) afternoon. The incident killed three residents, while several other victims suffered burns and were hospitalized.

In addition, about 50 families were forced to flee because their houses were affected by the flames.

PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) Subscriber Service Unit (ULP) Blora took quick steps by turning off electricity in areas affected by the fire of people's oil wells in Dukuh Gendono, Gandu Village, Bogorejo District, Blora Regency.

The blackout was carried out since Sunday (17/8) afternoon, shortly after the fire from the oil well grew and spread to people's homes.

PLN ULP Blora manager, Wardoyo explained that this step was taken to prevent short circuits or electric sparks that could exacerbate fires.

"Resident safety is a top priority. This blackout is a security measure so that there are no electric sparks that can trigger more widespread fires," he said.

Wardoyo said PLN deployed a team to mitigate disturbances while restoring electricity supply as quickly as possible.

From the results of the handling, he said, currently only two transformers are still out with the number of customers affected by around 65 houses.

"Officers mitigate the blackout area by cutting the TM jumper. Thank God the disturbance can be minimized, although 65 customers are still not electrified," he said.

As a result of the fire, at least five houses were reported to have suffered severe or minor damage. Meanwhile, more than 50 families were forced to flee to relatives' homes for safety.

PLN ensures that the new electricity will be restarted after conditions on the ground are declared safe by firefighters and related officers.

"We apologize for this inconvenience, but this step must be taken for the sake of mutual security," said Wardoyo

As of Monday (18/8) afternoon, the fire at the location of the people's oil well was still burning. The fire fighting team together with the joint forces continued to try to cool down and tame the flames.