By Vanessa Chircop
IT took 30 firefighters more than 11 hours to contain a gas leak at Mobil’s Altona refinery.
The leak was caused by a mix of Propane and Butane which was accidentally over-pressurised causing it to backfill into a tank that was not designed to hold it.
A cap on the tank blew off permitting an uncontrolled release of the volatile gasses into the atmosphere.
Water curtains and water monitors (powerful water jets) were set up to disperse the vapours.
An exclusion zone was initiated around the leak and regular atmospheric monitoring undertaken to ensure no danger to surrounding properties or the general public.
The incident occurred around 2am on Sunday morning, 11 December.
Public Affairs Advisor for Mobil Melanie Saliba said the leak was safely contained within Altona Refinery and there was no risk to the surrounding community.
“The MFB assisted onsite and Mobil regrets any inconvenience to our neighbours.”
