ID :
210395
Fri, 09/30/2011 - 07:45
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/210395
The shortlink copeid
SINGAPORE SHELL SAYS MAY SHUT BUKOM REFINERY
BY TENGKU NOOR SHAMSIAH TENGKU ABDULLAH
SINGAPORE, Sept 30 (Bernama) -- Shell said on Thursday it may shut down its Pulau Bukom refinery if that is what it takes to douse the fire which continues to rage.
Firefighting operations are still ongoing to put out the fire which started on Wednesday afternoon.
The company has so far shut down several units in the vicinity of the fire at the 500,000-barrels-a-day refinery including a hydrocracker.
At a press conference here on Thursday, Singapore Shell chairman Lee Tzu Yang said they were working to locate the source that is still feeding the fire.
Meanwhile, Shell Vice-President of Manufacturing Operations East, Martijn van Koten, said the fire was likely related to maintenance work that was being carried out at the time.
However, he declined to elaborate saying this would be pure speculation. He said the strategy being adopted was to starve the fire and contain it in an area where it could be put out.
Meanwhile, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) in a statement said fire fighting operations were still underway.
It said about 20 water jets were being used to carry out boundary cooling operations to prevent heat exposure to nearby storage tanks.
Two SCDF fire engines were badly damaged by the fire and one fire engine sustained partial damage, the statement said, adding that it had about 100 firefighters working to extinguish the fire with six fire engines and 13 support vehicles.
About 250 Shell personnel are also on Pulau Bukom helping with the
operations.
-- BERNAMA
SINGAPORE, Sept 30 (Bernama) -- Shell said on Thursday it may shut down its Pulau Bukom refinery if that is what it takes to douse the fire which continues to rage.
Firefighting operations are still ongoing to put out the fire which started on Wednesday afternoon.
The company has so far shut down several units in the vicinity of the fire at the 500,000-barrels-a-day refinery including a hydrocracker.
At a press conference here on Thursday, Singapore Shell chairman Lee Tzu Yang said they were working to locate the source that is still feeding the fire.
Meanwhile, Shell Vice-President of Manufacturing Operations East, Martijn van Koten, said the fire was likely related to maintenance work that was being carried out at the time.
However, he declined to elaborate saying this would be pure speculation. He said the strategy being adopted was to starve the fire and contain it in an area where it could be put out.
Meanwhile, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) in a statement said fire fighting operations were still underway.
It said about 20 water jets were being used to carry out boundary cooling operations to prevent heat exposure to nearby storage tanks.
Two SCDF fire engines were badly damaged by the fire and one fire engine sustained partial damage, the statement said, adding that it had about 100 firefighters working to extinguish the fire with six fire engines and 13 support vehicles.
About 250 Shell personnel are also on Pulau Bukom helping with the
operations.
-- BERNAMA
