Thousands of litres of oil are feared to have seeped into drains in Klong Toey district of Bangkok due to a suspected leak in an underground oil pipeline, prompting fire risk alerts.
The Ministry of Energy reported on Wednesday evening that officials had found the leak location and identified the companies that would be responsible for the cleanup.
Energy Minister Akanat Promphan, who inspected the site, ordered Bangkok Fuel Pipeline and Logistics Co and BAFS Pipeline Transportation Co to quickly carry out repairs and environmental rehabilitation and pay compensation.
Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt said earlier in the day that leakage was likely taking place into drains beneath Chuea Phloeng Road, which runs under an overpass of Rama III Road.
‘There may be a leak of an underground oil pipeline measuring around 14 inches in diameter. The pipe transports many kinds of oil and has been used for about 30 years,’ he said. (Story continues below)
The area belongs to the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), and the pipeline is about two metres deep, Mr Chadchart explained, referring to the railway track that connects the Bangkok Port, oil storage yards near the Chao Phraya River and the railway network in inner Bangkok.
Pressure in the pipeline has been dialled down, leading to a noticeable reduction in the smell of oil in the area, the governor said.
Workers have been dispatched to dig up sections suspected to be affected by leakage to prove the cause of the contamination. The work will have an impact on traffic.
According to Mr Chadchart and the Pollution Control Department, the leakage has affected an area of about 1,000 square metres. Local drains have been blocked to prevent any oil from flowing onward to waterways.
About 20,000 litres of oil-contaminated wastewater has been pumped from the area’s drains for proper disposal. The governor estimated about 20% of the collected wastewater contained oil, accounting for about 4,000 litres of fuel.
Officials have been monitoring of the extent of contamination and have begun working to limit its concentration to prevent fire.
As well, warnings have been repeated to local residents not to smoke or set fires in the area in the interest of safety. Two communities are located near the site but evacuation has not yet been deemed necessary.