14 DAY TRIAL // On Wednesday, Vietnam's first oil refinery spilled tonnes of diesel into the waters on the central coast, as an off-shore cargo hose became loose and cracked, probably due to previous damage or to fatigue. Local authorities and environmental organizations are working to contain the spill, so that it will not contaminate too much of the marine wildlife and ecosystems in the area. First reports indicate that the pressure inside the hose may have been too large for it to handle, causing the crack.
Officials from PetroVietnam, the owners of the refinery, said that factory workers and a team of engineers were working as fast as possible to restrict the damage, and to resume fueling operations. The processing plant, estimated to have a capacity of 140,000 barrels per day (bph), was fed diesel from the Eagle Milwaukee cargo ship, sailing under Singaporean flag. The tanker carries some 52,000 tonnes of diesel, which the refinery is to use during its test run.
In February, the plant is scheduled to enter active service, so all tests have to be done by that time. And considering that the deadline for unloading the tanker is November 30th, this leaves very little time for the test trials. Before the refinery can be "trusted" with crude oil, it must first process thousands of barrels of diesel, to test both its main and auxiliary systems.
The situation is worsened by the fact that strong winds and heavy rains continue to blow in the area for several days, causing floods in some areas near the coast and rising water levels in important rivers. If the oil stain reaches the land, it could remain inland, instead of wandering out into the ocean.
Company officials said that the spill would have no effect on the scheduled test run, and that, if all went well, the refinery would enter its normal functioning parameters by February. Hopefully, normal parameters don't imply regular oil spill in the surrounding waters.