Sidoarjo mud flow

The Sidoarjo mudflow (commonly known as Lumpur Lapindo, wherein lumpur is the Indonesian word for mud; and as Lusi (short for Lumpur Sidoarjo) is the result of an erupting mud volcano in the subdistrict of Porong, Sidoarjo, in East Java, Indonesia, that has been active since May 2006. It is the largest mud volcano in the world. Responsibility for the disaster was assigned to the blowout of a natural gas well drilled by Lapindo Brantas, although company officials contend it was caused by a very distant earthquake that occurred in a different province.

At its peak, the blowout spewed up to 180,000 cubic metres (6,400,000 cu ft; 240,000 cu yd) of mud per day. By mid-August 2011, mud was being discharged at a rate of 10,000 cubic meters (13,000 cu yd) per day, with 15 bubbles around its gushing point. This was a significant decline from the previous year, a rate of 100,000 cubic meters (130,000 cu yd) per day, with 320 bubbles. Initial estimates suggested that the flow would continue for 25 to 30 years. Although the Sidoarjo mud flow has been contained by levees since November 2008, resultant floodings regularly disrupt local highways and villages, and further breakouts of mud are still possible.