Oil spill: Panel says PTTGC not at fault

A ruptured hose, bad weather and customs procedures were the reasons for the last month's oil spill's severe impact, an investigation committee said Wednesday.

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The hose that cracked and caused last month's oil spill off Rayong. (Photo courtesy of PTT Plc)

Panel clears PTTGC of wrongdoing

Yuthana Praiwan
Patsara Jikkham

Volunteers from the government and the private sector join in clearing traces of the oil spill at Koh Samet's Ao Phrao on Saturday. The activity aimed to restore tourist confidence in the beach, involved Thais and foreigners. APICHIT JINAKUL

PTT Global Chemical Plc (PTTGC) correctly handled the oil leak off Rayong last month but bad weather and the customs procedure were the reasons for the spill's severe impact, an investigation committee said Wednesday.

The committee set up by Energy Minister Pongsak Raktapongpaisal found PTTGC followed operational procedures appropriately to cope with the accident by using dispersants and attempting to use an aeroplane in spraying, Vichien Keeratinjakal, a senior member of the National Environment Board, said.

However, booms that were used to try to contain the spill did not work well due to strong winds and currents, the committee found, which caused the oil to spread to Ao Phrao on Koh Samet.

Mr Vichien said that after the oil leak was detected about 6.30am, PTTGC contacted a Singaporean agency 15 minutes later to seek a plane to spray dispersants.

The plane entered the customs process about noon but it was held by customs until 2pm before arriving in Rayong at 3pm, he said.

"If the plane had been operational much sooner, less than half the oil would have hit Ao Phrao," Mr Vichien said.

He said the committee proposed the oil and gas industry share expenses to purchase planes of their own to spray dispersant immediately to prevent a repeat of such an incident.

The committee also revealed that a ruptured hose was the cause of the oil leak. If the hose was found to be made from defective materials, PTTGC could demand compensation from the supplier, chief executive Anon Sirisangtaksin said. He declined to mention the name of the company that supplied the hose.

PTTGC has also set up another committee to look into technical aspects and pursue additional investigations about the cause of the hose breakage.

Rayong province after the oil spill reached the tourist attraction in late July. SITHIKORN WONGWUDTHIANUN

Mr Vichien said PTTGC staff handled the hose properly.

"Before loading the crude oil to the refinery, PTTGC staff checked the hose carefully so I wonder why the hose broke," Mr Vichien said.

Khunying Thongthip Ratanarat, the chairman of the committee, confirmed that all the valves were completely turned off immediately after the breakage, causing crude oil in the 300-metre-long hose to spill between a barge and a mooring. She said the hose had a volume of about 54,341 litres.