FPIC pipe leak traced to 5 holes near Magallanes flyover

Excavation crews found before noon on Monday at least five small holes believed to be the cause of an oil leak near the Magallanes flyover in Makati City. First Philippine Industrial Corp. (FPIC) officer-in-charge Anthony Mabasa said the five holes near Magallanes Interchange may have been due to accelerated metal fatigue. "Yung vibrations maaaring maayos ang pag-design ng flyover at paggawa pero alam natin sa Metro Manila nagkalat ang overloaded trucks. Typically the pipeline systems are not designed for frequent vibration. Ang tolerance sa amplitude, may limitation yan," Mabasa said in an interview on dzBB. (The flyover may be designed and built well but the pipeline systems are not designed for frequent vibration, especially from overloaded trucks.) The excavation of the pipeline has been going on for more than a week, resulting in the shutdown of the pipeline that carries fuel products from Batangas to Manila. FPIC's pipeline is used to carry fuel products from the refineries of Chevron and Shell in Batangas to their depots in Pandacan, Manila. The shutdown of the pipeline caused a shortage of fuel products in some gas stations Metro Manila.

Trucks and heavy vehicles were barred from using the interchange and were to take detours instead. Meanwhile, Mabasa said they are in favor of constructing a permanent bypass pipe to replace the pipeline. "Ang pinaguusapan is a permanent bypass (pero dapat) malayo-layo nang kaunti sa flyover," he said. (We are in favor of a permanent bypass pipe but it should be constructed far from the flyover) Crack found in support beam of Magallanes flyover Earlier, on November 4, government authorities confirmed fears that the structural integrity of Magallanes Interchange in Makati City may have been compromised because of excavation work in the area. Noemi Recio, Traffic Engineering Director of the Metro Manila Development Authority, said at a press conference at the Makati City Hall that the "crack" in a girder (or support beam) of the flyover resulted from the digging operations of the FPIC. The crack was found in the area near Bonifacio Street corner Osmeña Highway (also known as South Super Highway), radio dzBB report quoted Recio as saying during the press conference. Heavy vehicles were banned from passing through the flyover as early as 8 p.m. last Wednesday. Traffic rerouting According to the website of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), all trucks, trailers, and heavy vehicles passing the South Super Highway must turn right at Buendia Avenue in Makati City or continue toward the Skyway. "Buses are directed to take the Skyway to their destination, or turn left at Buendia Avenue, then turn right at Ayala and EDSA, towards their destination," the MMDA said. "Meanwhile, trucks and trailers from San Marcelino must turn right at President Quirino Avenue, heading for Roxas Boulevard, towards their destination. Those headed from Philippine Columbian can directly take Roxas Boulevard towards their destination," the MMDA added. Pipelines for petroleum products The FPIC has two main pipelines transporting petroleum products from oil refineries in Batangas to terminals in Pandacan, Manila. The Lopez-owned FPIC has a 25-year concession to transport crude and refined petroleum products until 2017. The damaged pipeline is FPIC's 117-kilometer “white line" that carries gasoline, diesel, kerosene, and aviation fuel and other refined petroleum products. Its other pipeline, called the “black line," transports heavier petroleum products. Valves of the pipeline were closed while the digging is being carried out. In a “24 Oras" report, the FPIC said the gas leak may have been caused by stress exerted on its pipeline by the Magallanes Interchange. The flyover has a daily heavy volume of vehicles. The structure itself is heavy, the FPIC noted. FPIC workers have thus made a two meter-wide excavation along Osmeña Highway, at the foot of the 500-meter Magallanes Interchange. The Magallanes Interchange was built in the 1970s. At that time, the FPIC already expressed apprehensions about the building of such a structure on top of their pipeline. Pipelines shut down The FPIC first shut down the pipeline on July 12 after a gas leak was reported at the West Tower Condominium in Bangkal, Makati, which is near the path of the pipeline. However, the pipeline was reopened on July 15. The FPIC closed the pipeline for the second time on July 21 but opened it again on July 24. On July 29, the Energy Department and the Makati government both cleared the FPIC. The DOE then said FPIC had nothing to do with the gas leak at West Tower. The company shut down the pipeline for the third time on October 28 to determine the source of a petroleum leak at the West Tower Condominium along Osmeña Highway, Barangay Bangkal, Makati City. The excavation began only after geologists of the University of the Philippines National Institute of Geological Sciences (UP-NIGS) discovered another oil leak in the area, this time along the south-bound service road of Osmeña Highway in Barangay Bangkal, just a few meters from West Tower. –with Larissa Mae Suarez, VVP, GMANews.TV