The pipeline leak in the Balikpapan Bay, East Kalimantan, has shown Pertaminas unpreparedness for mitigating the effects of operational failures. The state oil and gas company seemed clueless as to how to deal with the oil leak, now covering 20,000 hectares of water.

The leak began at around 3am local time on March 31, as a result of a fracture in a pipeline transporting crude oil from the Lawe-lawe Terminal in North Penejam Paser Regency to a B