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MIRI – A leakage has allegedly occurred at a section of the giant Sarawak-Sabah interstate gas pipeline in a remote mountainous area of Lawas, the northernmost district of Sarawak.
Petronas, which owns the pipeline, has yet to publicly reveal details of the alleged incident which is said to have occurred on September 21.
The Vibes today learnt from reliable sources that the section of the pipeline that suffered the leak is located several kilometres from a native village called Pa’Berunut, about three hours by mountain road from Lawas town.
The Vibes has contacted Petronas senior officials in Kuching but was told that the top management has not issued any press statements as yet.
“Please wait for details from the management,” an officer said.
Progressive Democratic Party’s Lawas branch chief Datuk Nelson Balang Rining, when asked about the alleged incident, said he is also attempting to obtain the exact details.
“I am still trying to get accurate information on the alleged leak.
“The local natives told me they have seen groups of Petronas personnel in convoys going into Ulu Lawas daily,” he said.
Sources in various Lawas enforcement agencies said that until today they have not received any report of an explosion or fire along the gas pipeline in the district.
The last incident of explosion and fire at the pipeline was in early January 2020.
“That happened at the pipeline section located inside the Baram district but there were no casualties,” a source said.
Ba’kelalan state assemblyman Baru Bian, in his latest social media postings, called on Petronas to quickly confirm whether there was a leakage or not near Pa’Berunut.
“The villagers demand an answer from Petronas as they have not been told anything at all,” he said.
“Petronas must confirm whether there is a leakage or not in this latest case. There have been four such incidents already.”
Leaks, fires and explosions had happened at the pipeline in Long Sukang on June 10, 2014, near SK Long Sukang on January 10, 2018, at Long Segaman on May 8, 2019 and at Long Kawah on January 12, 2020, Bian pointed out.
He even suggested that the entire pipeline must be shut down permanently due to safety worries as there are numerous populated settlements located along the pipeline route.
The giant pipeline snakes across 600km of mountains and jungles from Kimanis in Sabah to Bintulu in Sarawak.
It carries raw gas for processing and export via the Petronas gas plant near Bintulu Port.
The cost of the pipeline was said to be at least RM4 billion. – The Vibes, October 7, 2022