Gas pipeline fire leaves 28 dead
Posted: 26 November 2007
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A fire broke out on the Haradh-Uthmaniyah gas pipeline in Saudi Arabia , 30 km away from Hawiyah Gas Plant, a statement from Saudi Aramco said on Sunday.
Twenty-eight people were killed when the accident occurred. The casualty includes five Aramco employees where maintenance work for new tie-ins was being conducted.
The state oil company said in a statement the fire was caused by a gas leak in the pipeline, but has since been brought under control.
“We regret to announce that this incident has caused a number of deaths and injuries,” the official statement said.
“Emergency Response teams were immediately mobilised, affected lines have been isolated and fire has been brought under control.
Aramco said a contractor was operating the site and that the incident did not affect production or distribution.
“Necessary operational adjustments have been made to the gas system to normalise operations to ensure continuity of fuel supply.”
State oil and gas firm Aramco is undertaking projects to boost output at a natural gas liquids recovery plant in Hawiyah.
The project will provide petrochemical feedstock to the industrial cities of Jubail and Yanbu in the kingdom, the world's largest oil exporter.
The Hawiyah programme will produce 310,000 barrels of ethane and NGL products by 2008, through the Hawiyah plant and an expansion of the Juaymah gas fractionation plant near Ras Tanura. |
