Management of Earthquake Mitigation as Effort to Increase National Oil and Gas Production
Abstract
Geologically, Indonesia has a complex tectonic setting because it is located between various oceanic plates and continental plates that are actively moving all the time. With the combination of the Indo-Australian plate, the Eurasian plate and the Pacific plate, Indonesia has the potential to experience many earthquakes related to plate movement. Earthquakes that occur due to plate movement in the majority of Indonesia are shallow earthquakes, with a depth of less than 20 km which are very destructive.
The data shows an increased risk of earthquakes as a warning alert to prioritize proper seismic mitigation management through the readiness of infrastructure and supporting facilities for predictive action (earthquake potential mapping) and corrective action (earthquake handling). In addition to managing seismicity mitigation, synergies from relevant institutions (BMKG, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources with Oil and Gas Companies and Oil and Gas Research Institutes) are urgently needed to optimize the potential for earthquakes to become an integrated source of information. As a record & early warning agency, BMKG should refer to an excellent example from the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) which monitors earthquakes, volcanoes, and weather in one integrated institution so that it focuses on coordination.
Earthquake is a risk that must be faced and needs to be mitigated properly because it can have a direct impact on upstream oil and gas operations. Studies of rocks excavated from fault zones have revealed crack marks, mineral-filled veins, and other signs that pressure fluctuates freely during and between earthquakes, concluding the theory that hydrocarbon fluid flows play an important role in triggering earthquakes and influencing when earthquakes occur. Including injection of artificial fluids ssociated with secondary/tertiary recovery operations that can cause earthquakes. Just as seismologists have linked oil and gas waste water wells to the dramatic increase in earthquakes in Oklahoma (USA) in 2009 because of injection of oil and gas wells by operators holding mining rights.
Seismic waves generated from earthquakes can also have a positive impact as a stimulus to increase oil and gas production, due to an increase in porosity which allows hydrocarbon fluids to flow more easily. Research has been carried out by firing seismic waves at an oil and gas field through Vibro Seismic Impact Technology (VSIT) & High Resolution Electro Magnetic (HREM), both of which have been carried out massively in many oil and gas fields in the United States & Russia and which have been tested on a limited basis (pilot project) and national oil and gas fields in Indonesia (Sumatra & Kalimantan). Indonesia's earthquake record data from the BMKG records that in 2008 – 2016 there were 5,000 – 6,000 earthquakes in Indonesia. In 2017 the incidence of earthquakes increased to 7,169 times, even in 2018 and 2019 to more than 11,400 times. In 2020 the incidence of earthquakes is still above the annual average of 8.258 times. Even in Jan – Mar 2021 alone there have been 2,108 earthquakes. Exceeds the normal average monthly earthquake event record in the range of 300 – 400 events.
