Senate wants oil firms to submit fuel delivery reports

The Senate will compel oil giants Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. and Chevron Philippines Inc. to submit their delivery reports in the last four months to determine the volume of fuel that leaked in the Batangas-Manila pipeline of the First Philippine Industrial Corp. (FPIC). “We will compel these fuel delivery reports from the end of the pipeline in Batangas to their Pandacan depots," Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri said Friday, after inspecting the West Tower Condominium in Makati City where the leak was first discovered. The 117-kilometer pipeline transports 60 percent of Metro Manila’s crude and refined petroleum needs from refineries in Batangas. Among the oil companies that use the pipeline to transport oil products are Shell and Chevron. Using these oil firms’ fuel delivery reports, the Senate may be able to determine how much fuel oil firms need to retrieve underground. “Ilang galon ba ang nawala sa inyo at ilan ang nareceive ninyo (How many gallons did you lose and how many gallons did you receive)," he said, referring to Shell and Chevron. Chevron refused to give comments. Shell said it would comply with the Senate’s request. Zubiri said the retrieval of the leaked fuel is essential in whether the residents of West Tower will be able to go back to their condominium units. “Kawawa naman ang mga residents ng Makati lalung-lalo na sa West Tower" said Zubiri, head of Senate committee on environment. Carlos Arcilla, University of the Philippines National Institute of Geological Sciences director, said that fuel continues to leak under the West Tower condominium because the sand below the soil and concrete where the building is standing has become a reservoir of oil. “We have to stop that and intercept that outside the building. If not, fumes will remain and threat of explosion will remain," he said, adding that the at least 800 barrels of fuel have been retrieved since the beginning of excavation. Testing of critical areas Energy Undersecretary Jay Layug said that they have asked the FPIC to conduct a “bore-hole test" in 80 critical areas along the 117-kilometer pipeline to determine whether it has any more holes aside from those previously discovered. Layug did not specifically mention where these 80 areas were, but only said that they are those typically under bridges or along earthquake faults. Aside from the bore-hole test, the FPIC will also conduct segmented pressure tests on the entire pipeline to ensure that it can finally be operated safely, Layug said. “All these tests will be conducted by FPIC and the experts will look into the propriety of the tests and the results of the test," he said during Friday’s inspection. Layug said that they had specifically flown in a pipeline expert from New Zealand to look at the tests conducted and the data retrieved from it. “We will have the expert review the reading." Zubiri said that he may call for another hearing on the pipeline leak after all the necessary tests on the pipeline are done. FPIC officer-in-charge Anthony Mabasa, for his part, said they are willing to participate in another Senate inquiry. “We will answer all questions." Mabasa also said that they plan on sharing their strategies with the government agencies involved in the excavation project. “We are coordinating closely with the doctor (Arcilla)," he said. During the first Senate hearing on the issue, the FPIC admitted that the pipeline had been having problems as far back as 1983. Earlier in the day, the residents of West Tower appealed for a temporary relocation while authorities and the FPIC repair the damage caused by the firm’s fuel pipeline leak. — JE/OMG, GMANews.TV