China seals oil port after spill

[CountAllVotes]

Source: Reuters

BEIJING — One of China's biggest ports, Dalian, shut on Monday after an pipeline explosion triggered a major offshore oil spill, forcing a refinery to cut processing and importers to divert cargoes elsewhere.

The aftermath of the weekend fire could disrupt shipments of oil, iron ore and soy and add to pressure for stricter environmental standards in China, already reeling from a toxic copper mine leak in the south of the country which burst into headlines last week amid accusations of a cover up.

The fire began on Friday while a crude oil tanker was being off-loaded.

Nobody was hurt, but hundreds of firefighters battled for more than 15 hours to douse the fire, and state media said about 1,500 tonnes of oil had spilled into the sea, causing a 183 sq km (71 sq mile) slick, 50 sq km of which was "severe."

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38295970

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Great, just what is needed. An oil spill in China now. Who knows the reality of how big this is? We'll never know being we cannot even figure out :wtf: is going on here in the USA!

[On the Road]

1. Wow -- Dalian is Huge

and it is a conduit for China's biggest oil-producing region in Heilong-Jiang. They can't keep it shut for long.

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. Very peculiar.

[Robbien]

3. Oil pipeline explosions create environmental disaster for China

Source: Los Angeles Times

<snip>

Two oil pipelines near the port exploded Friday, igniting a roaring inferno that shot flames 60 feet into the air and spilling tons of oil into the Yellow Sea.

No serious injuries were reported and the fire was brought under control Saturday, authorities reported, but as of Monday, hundreds of vessels were trying to clean up a slick that extended for miles. Port operations in the area were expected to be closed for at least one week.

Environmentalists, meanwhile, were trying to assess the damage to the popular beaches and fisheries in one of China's most important seaports. Smoke from the fire shrouded much of downtown Dalian over the weekend.

. . .

"There have been accidents in the past, but this one was more serious," Fu said. "The spill happened close to the city, so the impact on residents may be more severe."

. . .

In Dalian on the day of the explosions, more than 2,000 firefighters worked overnight and managed to extinguish the blaze in about 15 hours. Equipment was shipped from other Chinese provinces. By Sunday, several thousand meters of oil containment booms had been set up while at least 20 oil skimmers were dispatched to collect the oil. More than 500 fishing boats were also deployed with oil absorbent and dispersant materials to help with the cleanup.



Read more: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2010/07/19/1532660/oil-pipeline-explosions-create.html

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This is one of the largest Chinese ports. It will be closed for one or two weeks.

So many of these pipeline explosions go unnoticed which gives BigOil hubris to go around saying they have a great safety record.

[xultar]

4. But it is so safe!

[Robbien]

6. Yup. Just as safe as that new kid on the block Marcellas natural gas drilling

Both are so safe you can build pre-schooler playgrounds next door. With public drinking water fountains for everyone's pleasure.

No problem a'tall.

[SpiralHawk]

5. Sarah 'Confusedcious' Pale Horse (R) say: "Drill, baby, drill."

[thelordofhell]

7. I didn't know BP was in China

:silly:

[Downwinder]

8. If it were BP, they would still be thinking about cleaning up,

next week.

[glinda]

9. BP is a scourge upon the Earth.