In addition to searching for oil, these oil miners also refine the crude oil they obtain to make various types of fuel. This refining activity is carried out by almost all residents of the three villages in the Wonocolo and Hargomulyo areas: Wonocolo, Dangilo, and Kedewan. Samuji, 51, a miner in Wonocolo Village, is doing just that. He carries a bucket in his left hand, and a scoop made of zinc plate shaped like a ladle in his right.
With faltering steps, Samuji approached the 1.5 meter x 3 meter reservoir. Slowly, he scooped up a greenish-black liquid with a ladle, bit by bit, until it filled a bucket, each containing 15 liters. This bucket of crude oil liquid was then poured into a modified 200 liter iron drum. Once filled to the required size, the crude oil in the buried drum was cooked using firewood gathered from the forest. With a specific arrangement, the smoke from the combustion was emitted 3 meters from the furnace. The resulting boiled liquid was channeled through a long, cooled pipe underground, connected to two large drums.
Buyers come from Bojonegoro, Lamongan, Tuban, Gresik, Surabaya, Madiun, and even Madura, all within East Java. The fuel is even sold outside the region, including Blora, Rembang, Grobogan, and even Pati, Central Java. In Wonocolo, traditional oil wells dating back hundreds of years have been discovered. The Dutch colonial government even built infrastructure to support oil and gas development there, including dozens of nodding wells (electric oil pump wells), some of which are still used to drain the oil wells. Several buildings, oil pipelines, and reservoirs surrounding the mines are also remnants of the Dutch colonial period in 1894.
In the area, a discontinued railway line was also found, used to transport oil during the Dutch colonial era to Solo and Semarang. Trains were once a major means of transportation for mining activities in Wonocolo.
Media Indonesia, Page-22, Wednesday, Nop 2, 2016
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