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Old oil well spews out crude oil in Bojonegoro

14 May 2008, BOJONEGORO - An old oil well in the subdistrict of Kedewan in the district of Bojonegoro in eastern Java spews out crude oil mixed with water. Villagers from the village of Hargomulio, near the well, have gathered around the well to collect the oil mixed with water in storage trays.

According to Rumijan, the crude oil started to come out from the well some three days ago. The spill occurred at well number 84. The crude oil in the well is being forced out without the help of a pump. It is being forced out because of high pressure steam inside the well. The well itself has not been used by villagers since three months since it was not productive any longer.

Leaking of crude oil from the well with a depth of some 500 meters is strong enough to cause a rumbling sound. According to villagers, the flow of crude oil is not dangerous. Because of that there are no efforts to stop it from spewing out crude oil and water. The well however has already exploded two times because of this mixture of oil and water.

Crude oil mixed with water emerges from an old oil well in a village in Bojonegoro, eastern Java. © Metro TV