Lapindo Brantas' gas well leaks

A gas well at Lapindo Brantas' exploration area in Renokenongo village in Porong district, Sidoarjo, East Java leaked on Monday, sending unpleasant odor within a radius of 500 meters, Kompas reported on Tuesday.

Residents said that the gas began to spray from an exploration well at the company's exploration area at six in the morning, causing a number of residents living in nearby areas to suffer breathing problem.

Budi Susanto, the relations and security manager of PT Lapindo Brantas, which provides gas supply to state owned gas distribution company PGN in East Java, said that poisonous hydrogen sulfide was found at the leaked gas. But he said that as the content of hydrogen sulfide was only about three part per million (ppm), it would disappear within 50 meter away, before it reached the residential areas.

He said that the company had injected solid mud into the well to stop the leaked gas.

Lapindo Brantas, the operator of Brantas PSC and 50 percent interest holder, is a unit of JSX-listed oil firm PT. Energi Mega Persada. Another JSX-listed oil company Medco Energi holds 32 percent interest in the block and the remaining balance is held by Australian oil producer Santos Limited. (*)