Engineers still clueless over source of leak in Makati

MANILA, Philippines – The engineers of the privately owned First Philippines Industrial Corp. (FPIC) are still puzzled over the source of leak in Bangkal, Makati City that residents said smelled of gas.

In a telephone interview, engineer Efren Impreso, FPIC oil pipeline right of way division head, said they have already dug 15 segments of their pipeline along Del Pilar street in Makati, but still they failed to find the source of the leak.        

Impreso said the leak in this area is composed of a mixture of water and an oily substance suspected to be petroleum. He said there are no findings yet that diesel is leaking from the pipeline.

“What is leaking is all water from the area where the seepage was first reported to have occurred. The 15 segments (measures) about 20 meters. We are actually puzzled by the fact that until now we cannot see the source of it,” he said.

Impreso said they will bore small holes in the area and take samples from these holes to determine where the leak is coming from. He added that the leak poses no danger to residents.

“We continue to assure the public that there is no cause for alarm even for the residents in the area,” Impreso said.

Impreso said they will continue their operation until the puzzle is solved.

“It is costly. But we will continue to do this just to assure the safety of the residents here,” he said.

Impreso’s group and Makati firefighters rushed to Barangay Bangkal in Makati Monday morning after receiving reports of a leak.

That there has been seepages of suspected petroleum product in the area.

Makati Fire Marshall Samuel Tadeo said they are closely working with the FPIC engineers to trace the source of the leak.