Bojonegoro Oil Production Thrives In Indonesia

BOJONEGORO, EAST JAVA - DECEMBER 23: A mine worker distills crude oil to be processed into fuel on December 23, 2008 in Bojonegoro, Indonesia. Crude oil mining is undertaken in what is known as the 'eternal oil fields using traditional methods and simple equipment. The reserves were rediscovered at the location sited just over 100km from Surabaya in 2005, although the 210 wells date back to Dutch colonial times. Their 2005 discovery was the biggest in Indonesia in three decades, and is one of the biggest oil reserves in Indonesia. They are mined jointly by the state oil company Pertamina and a subsidiary of ExxonMobil, and fields such as those at Banyu Urip alone produce up to 170,000 barrels per day, accounting for 20 percent of Indonesia's crude oil production. The reserves were rediscovered at the location sited just over 100km from Surabaya in 2005, although the 210 wells date back to Dutch colonial times. Their 2005 discovery was the biggest in Indonesia in three decades, and is one of the biggest oil reserves in Indonesia. They are mined jointly by the state oil company Pertamina and a subsidiary of ExxonMobil, and fields such as those at Banyu Urip alone produce up to 170,000 barrels per day, accounting for 20 percent of Indonesia's crude oil production. However, issues have been raised in regard to both the environmental impact of the mining and also social concerns arising from the perception of corruption and an inequality of income distribution in the region. (Photo by Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images)