Fire kills 1 after pipeline spill

Fire kills 1 after pipeline spill

JAKARTA: A fire after an oil spill on a pipeline operated by ConocoPhillips in Indonesia's southern Sumatra killed one man three days ago, the Oil and Gas Implementing Body (BP Migas) said on Thursday.

A leak in one of the three Tenpino-Sei Gerong pipelines -- which carry crude oil from fields operated by ConocoPhillips and state oil company PT Pertamina -- spilled about 18 barrels of crude oil, BP Migas' operations division head, Suhadi Sukama, said. A fire burned a house around three meters from the pipeline and killed one villager.

"We're investigating the cause of the accident," Suhadi said. "ConocoPhillips has so far collected 13 barrels of the spill. The leak was repaired the next day and the section is now running at 50 percent capacity."

The 250-kilometer-long pipelines carry about 20,000 barrels of crude oil per day from ConocoPhillips' Grissik and Ramba areas in southern Sumatra to Pertamina's Plaju refinery. Pertamina owns the 68-year old pipelines and gets fees from ConocoPhillips for their operation. -- AP