ECRL Gas Leak: Petronas To Install Second Portable Flare To Burn Off All Butane Gas Traces

KUALA BERANG, Sept 21 (Bernama) -- A second portable flare will be installed today at the Petronas Gas Berhad (PGB) area of Section 5, East Coast Rail Line (ECRL) Site near Kemaman to burn off all traces of butane gas in the leaking pipe.

Fire and Rescue Department director-general Datuk Seri Nor Hisham Mohammad said Petronas managed to install the first portable flare at around 3.30 am to begin the gas burn off.

The second unit from Kulim, Kedah is expected to arrive this evening and will be immediately installed to enable all remaining gas in the 9.6-kilometre pipeline to be burned off and the area declared safe.

"We expect the burn off, including the nitrogen purging operation, to take 48 hours for continuous burning to occur and use up all remaining gas in the pipeline and for restoration work to commence,” he said after officiating the close of a department programme here today, adding that the public should not be worried as the gas leak would not cause an explosion that would endanger nearby residents.

According to him, assessments revealed that the percentage of butane gas in the air within a radius of 400 metres from the location of the leak was only about one per cent, and that the chances of the gas to burn and explode was very minimum.

“If we look at the readings, actually it’s safe to work at 400 metres, but we maintain a safe distance at a radius of 500 metres to operate to avoid any untoward incidents,” he added.

-- BERNAMA