A deadly explosion in Qingdao is making state-owned oil giants reevaluate safety protocols
At 3:15am on November 22nd, Sinopec officials detected a leak in an oil pipeline in Qingdao's Huangdao district. Workers dispatched to fix the leak at 7:30am were unable, however, to mend the pipeline in time, and the unstable section caused a massive explosion which killed 55 people and injured many more.
Sinopec, which operates the pipeline, stated the local government had been warned of the leak, although government officials claim they had no knowledge of the danger until after the incident.
While the cause of the explosion - and indeed exactly which pipeline had exploded - is still under closed investigation, sources close to the matter claim the blast was caused by local thieves tapping into the pipeline to siphon off oil. Currently, there is no comprehensive database of all the underground pipelines in China.
Sinopec had proposed rennovations to the pipeline in question in 2011, claiming that the burgeoning local population was making maintenance problematic. However, a full environmental assesment had not been carried out at the time of the leak.
The explosion has prompted public outcry and is now causing state-owned oil companies to re-evaluate their safety protocols. Xinhua, the state newspaper, claimed the blast was a "serious dereliction of duty".
CNPC has sent its top level management to special health and safety classes to instill the importance of worker safety into its corporate culture. In light of the explosion, CNPC's Shen Yi claimed that "ensuring safety and environmental compliance were crucial to the ongoing success of the company."
In a state address, Xi Jinping called for a swift investigation and severe punishment for anyone found responsible for the explosion.