16,000 tons of crude oil leak from Elnusa?s pipe

A leakage at an oil pipeline owned by PT Elnusa in Sukabangun, Palembang in South Sumatra has spilled at least 16,000 tons of crude oil into the surrounding villages, Investor Daily reported on Tuesday.

Field coordinator of the oil and gas company, Yusriadi Damanhuri said the leakage which was identified on Monday morning at the kilometer 20 section of the pipeline was allegedly caused by an illegal tapping carried out by irresponsible people, who tried to steal the oil.

He said that a fire also occurred in part of the area covered by the oil spill, but it could be extinguished immediately with the help of local residents and a team of fire fighters from Palembang.

The head of the mining office at the South Sumatra provincial administration, Robert Heri said that the local government had asked state oil company Pertamina to replace their aging pipes to help reduce rampant activities of illegal tapping in major oil pipelines in the province.(*)