Report: Faulty desulfurizer injections caused Dalian spill
July 24, 2010, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
IMPROPER desulfurizer injections caused the July 16 explosion of the oil pipeline in the northeast China port city of Dalian, results of a State Administration of Work Safety and Ministry of Public Security investigation showed yesterday.
The 0.9-meter-diameter oil pipeline exploded at 6pm, causing a smaller adjacent pipeline to also explode.
The explosion occurred as workers from Shanghai-based Q.PRO Inspection and Technical Service Co continued to inject desulfurizer into the pipeline after a 300,000-ton tanker had finished unloading its oil at 1pm.
The desulfurizer, produced by Tianjin-based Huishengda Petroleum Technology Co, was strongly oxidizing, the investigation's report said.
A subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation had authorized the two companies to conduct the operation.
The investigation accused the involved parties of failing to scientifically verify the safety of the oxidizer.
They also failed to use standard injection procedures and promptly identify risks.
Lax management and ineffective oversight also contributed to the accident as relevant departments failed to stop the injection operation in time, the report said.
A concentration of large tanks storing hazardous chemical added to risks, according to the repor.
The pipelines' explosion caused a blaze that took 15 hours to extinguish but there were no casualties.
The accident is still under investigation.
The oil spill "seriously polluted" 11 square kilometers of sea and "slightly affected" 50 square kilometers of sea, the local government said.
On Tuesday, authorities lifted a partial ban on maritime traffic at the port.
China National Petroleum said on Thursday the pipeline had been repaired and was back to normal operations.
The State Administration of Work Safety and the Ministry of Public Security yesterday urged Chinese ports to ramp up safety measures ahead of the loading, unloading and transporting of oil and other hazardous chemical products.
The State Council, China's Cabinet, issued a circular yesterday urging local governments and companies to increase supervision of work safety.
The Ministry of Transport ordered ports across the country to have emergency response plans and hold regular safety drills.
The 0.9-meter-diameter oil pipeline exploded at 6pm, causing a smaller adjacent pipeline to also explode.
The explosion occurred as workers from Shanghai-based Q.PRO Inspection and Technical Service Co continued to inject desulfurizer into the pipeline after a 300,000-ton tanker had finished unloading its oil at 1pm.
The desulfurizer, produced by Tianjin-based Huishengda Petroleum Technology Co, was strongly oxidizing, the investigation's report said.
A subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation had authorized the two companies to conduct the operation.
The investigation accused the involved parties of failing to scientifically verify the safety of the oxidizer.
They also failed to use standard injection procedures and promptly identify risks.
Lax management and ineffective oversight also contributed to the accident as relevant departments failed to stop the injection operation in time, the report said.
A concentration of large tanks storing hazardous chemical added to risks, according to the repor.
The pipelines' explosion caused a blaze that took 15 hours to extinguish but there were no casualties.
The accident is still under investigation.
The oil spill "seriously polluted" 11 square kilometers of sea and "slightly affected" 50 square kilometers of sea, the local government said.
On Tuesday, authorities lifted a partial ban on maritime traffic at the port.
China National Petroleum said on Thursday the pipeline had been repaired and was back to normal operations.
The State Administration of Work Safety and the Ministry of Public Security yesterday urged Chinese ports to ramp up safety measures ahead of the loading, unloading and transporting of oil and other hazardous chemical products.
The State Council, China's Cabinet, issued a circular yesterday urging local governments and companies to increase supervision of work safety.
The Ministry of Transport ordered ports across the country to have emergency response plans and hold regular safety drills.
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