One of the 2017 PT DAHANA (Persero)’s Meeting for Budgeting Elaboration held on 30 – 31 Januari 2017 in Tasikmalaya was a plant tour to the Shaped Charges plant, the only plant still operating at the Tasikmalaya plant.
The Shaped Charges plant is the first and the only plant in Indonesia. The plant is capable of producing Shaped Charges to meet the demand for explosives for oil mining in Indonesia and overseas.
Widodo visited each of the parts of production room and talked to the operators. He attentively listened to the operator’s explanation how to Shaped Charges are manufactured. Shaped Charges are used for drilling explosives, widely adopted by oil companies to make perforation holes in oil well pipes encased by cemented structure to let oil go through the casing pipe for further pumping out. Within more advanced technology, Shaped Charges can be used as product for defense, such as anti-tank application as it is capable of penetrating into thick metal.
To test the capacity of Shaped Charges, performance test was made in the blasting bunker, which is located near the plant. Widodo got the chance to perform blasting.
After some necessary instruction, Widodo got ready for quality test. He stood in front of the blasting machine, and ready to push the button for firing test. Upon count-down from three to zero, when engagement key was turned open, a loud blast was heard from the bunker.
He got a boisterous applause for the successful blast. PT DAHANA (Persero)’s Operation Director Bambang Agung came to Widodo at once, giving him a metal plate and concrete as the proof of successful blasting.
“The thickness of metal plate represents the thickness of pipe casing while the concrete represents the rock formation inside. “Please have a look, there is a hole in the plat and some cracks in the concrete. With regards to perforation of oil pipe, the oil will go through this hole,” explained Bambang Agung.
Before leaving the bunker, Bambang Agung awarded Widodo with a certificate of Honorary Blaster during the Shaped Charges quality test in Tasikmalaya. (sya)