Lusi continues to flow. Scientists still undecided on cause.

[Vanhelsing]

The world’s most destructive mud volcano was born near the town of Sidoarjo, on the island of Java, Indonesia, just over 11 years ago – and to this day it has not stopped erupting. The mud volcano known as Lusistarted on May 29, 2006, and at its peak disgorged a staggering 180,000 cubic metres of mud every day, burying villages in mud up to 40 metres thick. The worst event of its kind in recorded history, the eruption took 13 lives and destroyed the homes of 60,000 people. But although the mud is still flowing more than a decade later, scientists are not yet agreed on its cause.

The debate is whether the eruption of Lusi was due to an earthquake several days previously, or down to a catastrophic failure of the Banjar Panji 1 gas exploration well that was being drilled nearby at the time.

The explanation implicating the drilling is that water from surrounding bedrock entered the 2,834 metre-deep Banjar Panji 1 well, which for its lowest 1,743 metres was unprotected by steel and cement casing. The pressure the water exerted was enough to fracture surrounding rock or pre-existing faults. Mixing with underground mud from the Kalibeng Formation, which makes up part of Java’s geology, this pressurised water and mud rushed to the surface through a fault, forming the Lusi mud volcano just 200 metres from the drilling site.

full story http://theconversation.com/a-mud-vo...ists-are-still-undecided-what-caused-it-80827

 

[William King]

200 metres from the drilling site, water entered the unprotected and unreinforced drilling well.... but we are not sure the cause....!?

 

[Vanhelsing]

200 metres from the drilling site, water entered the unprotected and unreinforced drilling well.... but we are not sure the cause....!?

It would probably be a little more cut and dry if there hadn't been considerable seismic activity in the area only two days before.

 

[William King]

It would probably be a little more cut and dry if there hadn't been considerable seismic activity in the area only two days before.

Luckily so for Lapindo.