Huge disaster averted in Bahrain following Juffair fuel station leak
TDT | Manama
The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com
A huge disaster was averted in Bahrain last week as it barely escaped an out-of-control blaze situation after leaked fuel spilt into a sewerage system filling it with petroleum fumes, it has emerged.
The revelation came as new details emerged of the fuel leak that happened on November 1 at the Juffair Fuel Station in Umm Al Hassam.
The Bahrain National Oil and Gas Authority (NOGA) had temporarily closed the station as a precautionary measure.
All roads leading to the site were also closed as a team of experts took measures from Civil Defence and Bapco.
The Interior Ministry had advised citizens and residents to cooperate and avoid entering the affected area. According to sources, the leak from the fuel station spread to surrounding areas.
Latest Confirmation
NOGA’s Oil and Gas Affairs general manager Jassim Isa Al-Shirawi now confirms that it was due to fuel seeping into sewage network near the station.
“Technical examination revealed that there was a leak that reached the sewage network located near the station,” Al-Shirawi confirmed in a statement. After police cordoned off the area, a team of experts and specialists from Bapco and Civil Defence went on with efforts to spot and contain the leak.
“Quantities of foam and water” were pumped into the sewage network, which was then “withdrawn from several other points to remove the petroleum fumes inside them,” Al Shirawi said.
For this, experts isolated the suspected tank and separated it from pumps while also examining all the tanks there.
“They also emptied all fuel tanks of Jayyid, Mumtaz and diesel products,” he added.
“The sewage manholes were opened in cooperation with Bapco, and the water that was contaminated with fuel was withdrawn, in order to avoid the continued spread of odours, and to stop any spread of water that mixed with fuel according”, said Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Ministry’s Undersecretary for Works Affairs, Ahmed Abdulaziz Al-Khayyat.
The ministry also ensured precautionary measures on the next day through the General Directorate of Civil Defence and Bapco.
Al Shirawi assured that the situation was quickly handled and is now well out of danger.
NOGA, he said, is working according to a well-thought-out strategy in all petroleum services stations.
The agency is also conducting periodic inspection campaigns for all filling stations to ensure their safety and readiness.
However, the affected Juffair Fuel Station, he said, was carrying out maintenance operations “through private companies, and not through Bapco”.
Al-Shirawi thanked Oil Minister Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Ministry of Interior, General Directorate of Civil Defence, Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning and the relevant authorities for their close coordination and rapid response.
There are now 51 land-based fuel stations in Bahrain, of which Bapco’s supply company Tazweed manages 19, private firms 32.
Bapco is now reviewing 21 new license applications to set up private stations.
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