Minister: Petros denies pipeline link as probe continues into SK Tudan underground gas leak

MIRI (Feb 7): Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (Petros) has confirmed that the gas leak at a construction site near SK Tudan on Friday did not originate from its underground gas pipes, said State Transport Minister Dato’ Sri Lee Kim Shin.

He said initial reports suggested the leak might have come from Petros’ underground pipes; however, Petros staff who visited the site late Friday confirmed otherwise.

“I contacted the CEO of Petros (Dato Janin Girie). He informed me that workers had been dispatched to the site and confirmed the leak did not involve Petros gas pipes,” he told reporters at an event here.

The Senadin assemblyman added that all relevant agencies were mobilised immediately to investigate the release of flammable gas at the SK Tudan canteen construction site, with priority given to the safety of pupils, teachers and nearby residents.

He said the Department of Chemistry Malaysia is expected to conduct a detailed analysis to determine the type of gas involved, whether toxic or otherwise, while the Department of Minerals and Geoscience Malaysia will assess the geological conditions of the area.

“Meanwhile, the Resident’s Office and Miri District Office have already coordinated with all relevant agencies to hold discussions before any recommendations or decisions are made.

“At this stage, we will not speculate. We will wait for the meetings. Once the agencies have made their recommendations, only then will we make a decision,” Lee said.

When asked if the site could potentially be a natural gas reservoir, he said this has yet to be confirmed and would require detailed studies by the relevant authorities.

On whether SK Tudan should be relocated, Lee said the matter would be referred to experts and relevant agencies before any final decision is taken.

“I will be contacting the Resident’s Office, as they will also be holding discussions on this matter today,” he said, adding that it was fortunate the school was closed over the weekend.

Lee expressed hope that a decision from the relevant agencies could be received as soon as possible ahead of the school’s reopening on Monday.

“Our priority is safety. For now, the affected area is limited to the canteen construction site. The school remains temporarily closed on the advice of the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba), and we will wait for further discussions with the Resident’s Office,” he added.

He assured that the state government is taking the matter seriously and that the investigation will be expedited to ensure follow-up actions can be taken without compromising the safety of pupils and teachers.

According to Lee, the incident was detected on Friday after piling works were carried out by the contractor, before gas suddenly escaped from the ground.

Initial investigations found that two piles had been installed at depths of 33.6 metres and 33.9 metres respectively before the gas was released.

“The contractor immediately reported the incident to Bomba, which then took gas samples on site. Preliminary tests confirmed that the gas is flammable and easily ignitable,” he said.