The National Fuel, Alcohol and Portland Administration (Ancap) resumed work this morning due to the spill that occurred in the pipeline that transports Petroleum from Jose Ignacio to the refinery The Tileparallel to the Interspa Route. From the Ministry of Environment They confirmed that the loss did not contaminate nearby waterways.
The spill was reported on Monday morning by the Departmental Emergency Center (Cecoed) of Cannelloni, while the state oil company notified the company of the loss National Directorate of Quality and Environmental Assessment of the Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of Transportation and Public Works (MTOP)to OSE, Firefighters and Highway Police.
The work began yesterday with the objective of collecting the spilled hydrocarbon, removing the contaminated soil and detecting the origin of the loss to proceed to repair the pipeline; but they were suspended at nightfall as working conditions were not safe. On Tuesday morning, activity resumed at kilometer 56 of the Interbalnearia.
Corrosion is considered among the hypotheses for the cause of the spill, although since Ancap They indicated that there were no indications that the place was at risk of loss; a mechanical issue such as breakage from heavy machinery; or “a combination of both in this case, due to the location where the break is suspected.”
The pipeline is buried about two meters deep, so it must first be discovered and “determined.”
“We must discover the pipe (several tens of meters, about 2 meters deep) and determine the form of repair, which will surely be the placement of a healthy envelope (pipe that is placed on the outside),” they stated from Ancap to Telemundo, and added: “As long as it is not repaired, the pumping of oil to the refinery is suspended, which has several days of safety inventory. As a precautionary measure, the flow is reduced so as not to have to stop production.”
The statements of the Ministry of Environment
From the Ministry of EnvironmentMeanwhile, they assured that the loss in the pipeline did not contaminate nearby waterways.
According to the portfolio led by Robert Bouvier, “No hydrocarbon was detected in liquid form,” although “a strong odor was perceived.” Although the oil was channeled into a “rain canal,” Ancap placed absorbent material to prevent the spill from continuing.
“The stormwater channel, approximately 400 meters long, does not flow into a watercourse, but is lost in the countryside,” stated the Ministry of the Environment, which also inspected the Sarandí stream, at about 1,200 meters, “without finding signs of contamination.”
“The presence of groundwater wells at a certain distance from the affected place, immediately notifying OSE,” adds the official report from the portfolio, although it points out in that sense that the wells “have not shown any damage.”
Despite these findings, Ambiente assured that it “will continue to monitor” the situation “closely”, together with Ancap and other institutions to “mitigate environmental impact” at ground level.
Source: Ambito
