An oil spill incident occurred again in the waters of Karawang, West Java. Not yet recovering from previous injuries, the north coast of Karawang was again tested. Mitigation and recovery of the impact of the incident are priorities.
The black oil spills were scattered in a number of points on the north coast of Karawang, West Java, Saturday (24/4/2021) afternoon. The spill contaminated the beach sand to the rocks by the beach and the access road around it. There is a liquid form. Some of them are compacted. The smell is strong. The sea breeze made the smell easily spread everywhere.
Pertamina Hulu Energi Offshore North West Java (PHE ONWJ) admitted that there was a pipe leak in the BZZA area, about 15 miles from the Karawang coast, Thursday (15/4/2021).
During his visit to one of the affected points on Cemarajaya Beach, Cibuaya District, Karawang Regent Cellica Nurrachadiana said that the spill this time came from a leak in one of the pipes off the coast.
"We set a deadline so that this problem does not drag on, a maximum of three weeks for cleaning. If it is done, the environmental restoration will be carried out according to the study of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry," he said.
SKK Migas Operations Deputy Julius Wiratno said the cause of the oil pipeline leak this time was internal corrosion of the pipe. The pipe is said to be old. So far, there have been no signs of external damage to the pipeline.
As a result of this incident, the estimated loss of production due to oil leakage is around 6,000 barrels per day. Until now, the number of oil spills that have been collected is at least 10 barrels.
“Pipeline repair work with clamp installation is still ongoing. Currently, it has reached 80 percent, "he said.
Manager Communications Relations & CID PHE ONWJ Hari Setyono said he had repaired the pipeline so that it was ensured that no more oil spilled out. The handling team also deployed several vessels to clean oil in the sea area. Ocean and air monitoring continue to follow the Oil Spill Model (MOTUM) trajectory, including the PHE ONWJ production facility and other potential areas.
Repeat
The oil spill incident was an irony because it had previously occurred in Karawang waters, July 12, 2019. At that time, the oil spill came from drilling the YYA -1 well in the PHE ONWJ area. The leak at YYA-1 was stopped in September 2019. Contaminated seawater disturbs marine life and affects the quality of water used by shrimp and fish farmers.
Endi Muhtarudin (63), a farmer in Sungai Buntu Village, felt the pain. He lost billions of rupiah due to early harvest. After the incident, the shrimp ponds were harvested early in stages. The shrimp was supposed to be harvested at the end of August.
Ideally, a pond covering an area of 2,500 square meters produces 7-8 tons of shrimp with a selling price of Rp 105,000 per kilogram for 30 fish per kg. However, yesterday's early harvest only produced 1-3 tons of shrimp with a selling price of IDR 38,000-IDR 50,000 per kg.
Losses for an early harvest shrimp pond reached hundreds of millions of rupiah. If calculated by the number of existing ponds, the total loss reaches billions of rupiah.
This series of events almost made Endi despair. Moreover, until now, he said he had not received compensation from PHE ONWJ. In fact, he has spent a lot of money to cover losses to restore the basic quality of the ponds which reaches billions of rupiah to cover losses to restore the basic quality of the ponds.
"I sprayed it three times and heaped up new sand at the bottom of the pond. The cost is not small, "said Endi.
This oil spill made a number of residents worried about the restoration of nature which correlates with businesses on the north coast. It seems that the monetary compensation will never be worth the long-term loss to the surrounding ecosystem.
Secretary of the Citarum River Region Community Forum (Forkadas + C), Yuda Febrian Silitonga, in September 2019, said that the oil spill in the YYA-1 well off the coast of Tempuran-Karawang as far as 7 nautical miles raised fears of environmental pollution on the coasts of Karawang and Bekasi West Java.
Oil will undergo a series of changes, weathering, or decay of physical and chemical properties in the marine environment.
"The impact of the waste shows a negative effect on the coastal environment and marine waters, especially if there is direct contact with aquatic organisms," he said.
One that has the potential to be affected is the Ciparage and Sendulang reef clusters. Sendulang coral reef has six coral clusters and Ciparage coral reef has five coral clusters with a total area of 121.67 hectares.
Environmental restoration is one of the priorities that must be carried out immediately. In mid-July 2019, four dolphin carcasses were found on the north coast of Karawang, West Java, after the YYA-1 offshore platform leak incident in the PHE ONWJ Block.
The first carcass was found near the Buntu River, Pedes District, Monday (15/7/2019). End of July found another dolphin carcass. On August 17, 2019, the third dolphin carcass was found in the mouth of the Cilebar River, North Pusakajaya Village, Cilebar District. Finally, the carcass was found on September 5, 2019, in the Pelangi Beach area, Pedes District.
Disturbed ecosystem
According to a marine pollution researcher from the LIPI Oceanographic Research Center Muhammad Reza Cordova, the sea contaminated with oil spilled waste can affect fish life and the ecosystem in it. When exposed to a direct oil spill, fish can immediately move away from the oil spill. However, the oil mixed in the water column will indirectly expose the fish.
This can disrupt fish growth. The size of the liver is swollen, the liver is swollen, the heart rate of respiration or respiration can change, and the work of the fins and the reproductive health of the fish can be disturbed.
The position of oil is on the surface of the water, but due to its large quantity, it is exposed to currents and waves, it can mix with water. This mixed oil is present in several locations, starting from the surface, the water column, to the bottom of the water.
The oil that has reached the bottom and accumulated in the sediments can make them more toxic. This is because the shape of the crude oil changes its molecular shape. Oil also has a negative impact on coral reefs, seagrass (plants that live in shallow seas), and mangroves.
"Oil covering the surface of individual corals, seagrass or mangroves can trigger stress, so that the ecosystem will be disturbed. If the marine ecosystem is disturbed, the fish will automatically leave or die, ”said Reza.
Regarding ecosystem restoration, Reza suggested, the process of cleaning the sea must be clean of oil first, because the oil will block the diffusion of oxygen from the air to water or sediment affected by pollution.
"It must be completely cleaned so that it does not settle, which can eventually accumulate in the biota," he said.
Pertamina Subholding Upstream Corporate Secretary Whisnu Bahriansyah said that his party will commit to restoring the environment due to the oil spill. Currently, his office is still focused on cleaning up the oil spill. The cause of the leak was also investigated.
Good mitigation is needed to reduce the impact that may occur. This incident cannot be repeated because it can have a long impact on the surrounding ecosystem.
Kompas, Page-11, Wednesday, April 28, 2021.
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