Monitor installation area to avoid recurrence of gas leak, Petronas told

LAWAS: Petronas has been urged to continuously monitor the Sabah-Sarawak Gas Pipeline (SSGP) installation area to avoid a recurrence of Wednesday’s gas leak incident.

In making the call, District Officer Hussaini Hakim said the national oil corporation should also take immediate action on any complaint by residents regarding changes in land structure and pipeline conditions.

“Such continuous monitoring and immediate action should be taken on any change in land structure and pipeline condition in the SSGP installation area to prevent recurrence of gas leakage incidents,” he said when contacted yesterday.

Hussaini was commenting on the latest incident of gas leak early Wednesday morning at KP181 of the SSGP that sent locals in Long Luping, Lawas scurrying to safety.

He also said Petronas must ensure that the SSGP installation area is not accessible to the public except those authorised by the corporation.

“We also ask Petronas to study the cause of the incident and to hold a dialogue session with the local community on the safety and integrity of the pipes, besides repairing the damaged pipes and implementing standard operating procedures (SOP) checks,” he said.

He said such measures were important to ensure that the safety of the local residents is always prioritised.