Jakarta – Indonesia began dumping mud surging from a gas exploration site in central Indonesia into the sea on Monday, hoping to minimize destruction from the disaster that has submerged entire villages and displaced thousands.

The mud flow started after an accident deep in a drilling shaft on the seismically charged island of Java four months ago. It now covers more than 1,100 acres and is being contained by an ever-expanding network of dams.

Despite opposition from environmentalists, the government eventually aims to dump the mud into the sea 20 hours a day, 650 cubic feet per second, said Rudi Novrianto, a government spokesman.

Experts say the mud volcano is one of the largest ever recorded on land. It is believed to come from a reservoir more than three miles underground that has been pressurized by tectonic activity or by the accumulation of hydrocarbon gases.