Pollution
Humain
Environnement
Economique

A hydrocarbon leak occurred at 6:30 p.m. on a pipeline used to supply a thermal power station with fuel oil from tankers. The leak occurred after an oil tanker had been unloaded and while the heavy fuel-oil pipeline was being cleaned with domestic fuel oil injected from the power station. The isolation valve between the pipeline on the unloading quay and the hose used to connect oil tankers to one another failed. It was found that the seal of the valve on the unloading quay side was compromised and the valve on the hose side remained open. In addition, the blind flange at the end of the hose was not tight enough to ensure a proper seal. A total of 50 l of heavy fuel oil and domestic fuel oil leaked into the quay’s gutter; 10 l leaked into the sea. The onsite crews stopped the rinsing sequence, closed the valve on the hose side, tightened the blind flange at the end of the hose and deployed containment booms. The pumping and cleaning operations ended at midnight and, according to the operator, cost €20,000.