Related News

HomeNation

PetroChina outlet in northeast sold diesel fouled with water

DIESEL sold at a PetroChina pump station in northeastern China has been found to contain water at 40 times the national limit, and local company officials have tried to silence media reports on the case, China Central Television reported.

Tests were conducted after several local drivers found problems with their trucks after refueling at the station in Shangzhi, Heilongjiang Province.

One of them, Gao Zhanjun, told CCTV that his tractor-trailer broke down only 130 kilometers after refueling last October. He started to replace parts and had spent 25,800 yuan (US$4,265) on repairs before mechanics suspected fuel quality was behind the problem.

“The repair guy got about 4-5 kilograms of water from the fuel-water separator,” Gao told CCTV, adding he then turned to the local commerce authority for help.

However, when officials of the Shangzhi Industry and Commerce Administration visited the PetroChina station to investigate, the zero-grade diesel Gao used was no longer on sale, CCTV said. So officials were able to sample only the minus-20 grade diesel, a winterized type.

The test results released by Heilongjiang’s provincial quality and standards watchdog in December found that the sample contained 0.2 percent of water, 40 times the maximum allowable 0.005 percent under national standards.

CCTV said an official at the PetroChina station told its reporter, “We hope you don’t report on this because it will have some negative impacts on the company.”

Although fuels sold at the station have been confirmed to be problematic, an official at Shangzhi commerce administration said Gao, the driver, may not be entitled to compensation because the tested diesel is a different type, according to CCTV.

The Harbin commerce administration, which oversees the Shangzhi branch, is reviewing the case with regard to administrative penalties on the gas station. Beijing-based PetroChina has yet to comment on the issue.

 


 

Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.

娌叕缃戝畨澶 31010602000204鍙

Email this to your friend