Pipeline damaged three years ago
A ruptured fuel pipeline which sparked an aviation crisis is now believed to have been damaged three years ago.
The Northland Regional Council said yesterday it had collected evidence indicating a digger was on site in the area of the damaged pipeline in Ruakaka during that timeframe.
The 170km pipeline transports virtually all of Auckland’s fuel from the Marsden Point Refinery, including jet fuel to Auckland Airport. It ruptured in September, causing widespread delays and flight cancellations before being repaired 10 days later.
Earlier, Refining NZ spokesman Greg McNeill said investigations had shown a digger had ‘‘scraped’’ the pipe.
The damage had caused corrosion and, over time, rust had eaten away the pipeline, leading to the rupture 8km south of the refinery.
All supplies down the line had to be halted, and tankers were called in to transport fuel from the refinery to the airport to bridge the gap while the pipeline was repaired.
Refining NZ, which owns the pipeline, estimated the incident had cost the company between $10 million and $15m in lost revenue.
The council said discussions with both the landowner’s wife and a neighbour had now confirmed a digger was on site three years ago.
Satellite imagery had been checked to see if a digger had been in the area over the relevant period.
However, cloud cover meant the site was ‘‘not visible for much of the time and no useful imagery was able to be sourced’’, the council said.
The identity of the digger driver allegedly involved had not yet been confirmed.
However, the council was now following a ‘‘strong line of inquiry’’ in that regard.
Legally, the council has until mid-March 2018 to lay any charges related to the spill, which is classed as an ‘‘unauthorised discharge of contaminants to land’’.
Samples of underground, or bore water in the vicinity of the rupture had been independently analysed and that had confirmed that bore water supplies had not been contaminated by the fuel spill, the council said.
It was working with Refining NZ on repairing the site and clarifying the necessary resource consents.