S-OIL Ulsan Oil Pipeline Leaks 8,000 Liters of Crude Oil... No Human Casualties or Marine Spillage

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] An accident occurred in which 8,000 liters of crude oil leaked from the S-OIL pipeline in Ulsan. After the accident, S-OIL completed both the crude oil leak containment and cleanup operations. It is reported that there have been no casualties or marine spills so far.

According to the Ulsan Fire Headquarters and S-OIL on the 5th, the crude oil leak accident occurred around 6:23 p.m. the previous day near the S-OIL booster pump in Onsan-eup, Ulju-gun, Ulsan City. It is estimated that crude oil leaked from a 42-inch diameter pipeline buried near the booster pump due to an unknown cause.

The booster pump is a pressurizing pump that increases the transmission pressure to transport crude oil from the offshore crude oil unloading facility called a "Buoy" to the onshore storage tanks.

The Onsan Fire Station, Ulsan Coast Guard, and S-OIL’s own fire brigade conducted emergency containment operations by spraying foam to remove oil vapor and using vacuum trucks to recover the crude oil. They also built sand embankments around the accident site to prevent oil from flowing to the coast and installed oil fences in nearby streams.

However, some crude oil flowed into the nearby Ijin Port through stormwater drainage pipes. Two stormwater drainage outlets were sealed, and the oil was recovered into storage containers.

Additionally, containment vessels and private cleanup ships were kept on standby to prepare for any emergencies. At around 7 a.m. on the 5th, the Coast Guard conducted aerial and maritime patrols using drones and patrol vessels and confirmed that no crude oil had leaked into the outer waters of Ijin Port.

There are also no reported damages to the surrounding fishing grounds. The Coast Guard and fire authorities plan to investigate the leak point and cause once the containment operations are completed.