Meet With Commission VII, Ministry Of Energy And Mineral Resources To Explain The Chronology And Causes Of The Dieng PLTP Gas Leak

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The Director General of Renewable Stone Energy and Energy Conservation of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Dadan Kusdiana complied with the invitation of Commission VII DPRD to explain the chronology and results of the investigation carried out to investigate the causes of work accidents that occurred at the Dieng Unit I geothermal power plant (PLTP) in Central Java.

Dadan explained, the cause of work accidents that occurred at the Dieng PLTP was because the equipment did not work according to its specifications.

"Our temporary conclusion is that the equipment is not working according to the proper setting," said Dadan, Thursday, March 17.

He also suspected that there was damage to the pressure relief valve (PRV) causing gas to escape from the pipe and causing 1 person to die and 6 others being treated at the Wonosobo Hospital.

Until now, said Dadan, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources is still conducting further investigations by involving experts.

Dadan also explained the chronology of the gas leak. Dadan said that there was a quenching activity to prepare for the workover of the HCE-28B well at Wellpad 28 at 14:55 WIB on March 12, 2022.

Eight minutes later, there was a PRV release that hit the mud pump I. The operator team followed the angle valve of the HCE-28B well and turned off the pump.

Then at 15.08 WIB, one of the workers reset the PRV which then appeared hydrogen sulfide gas in high concentrations which caused some workers to faint and short of breath, then evacuated to the muster point.

At 15.25 WIB, the exposed workers were evacuated to the health center and for medical treatment and directed to the hospital. PT Geo Dipa Energi (Persero) as the developer of the power plant stopped activities in the Wellpad 28 area and took care of the victims.

"Until now, investigation activities are still ongoing. The crime scene has been given a police line so that we cannot freely carry out investigations, especially since the rainfall is high there," concluded Dadan.