KUALA BERANG: A second portable flare will be installed today at the Petronas Gas Bhd (PGB) area of Section 5, East Coast Rail Line (ECRL) site near Kemaman to burn off all traces of butane gas from the leaking pipeline.
Fire and Rescue Department director-general Datuk Seri Nor Hisham Mohammad said Petronas managed to install the first portable flare at around 3.30am to begin the gas burn-off.
The second unit, coming from Kulim, Kedah, is expected to arrive this evening and will be installed immediately to enable all remaining gas in the 9.6-km pipeline to be burned off, after which the area will be declared safe.
“We expect the burn-off, including the nitrogen purging operation, to take 48 hours, allowing continuous burning to consume all remaining gas in the pipeline and for restoration work to commence,” he said after launching the closing of a department programme here today.
He added that the public need not worry, as the gas leak poses no risk of an explosion that could endanger nearby residents.
Nor Hisham said assessments showed the percentage of butane gas in the air within a 400-metre radius of the leak was only about one per cent, making the likelihood of ignition and explosion minimal.
“Based on the readings, it is actually safe to work at 400 metres, but we maintain a safety radius of 500 metres to avoid any untoward incidents,” he added.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
