********************************************************
The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) received today (March 16) the investigation report from the task force on the LPG vehicle stalling incident, and accepted the report's recommendations to step up monitoring to ensure the safe operation of LPG vehicles.
"The EMSD will spare no effort in taking forward the recommendations. We will take immediate measures in four areas to enhance the monitoring of auto-LPG supply," said Mr Stephen Chan, Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services.
These four areas include:
1. asking LPG suppliers to set up or review their internal procedural guidelines, in view of the industry practices and the company's own position;
2. requiring LPG suppliers to submit their internal procedural guidelines to the EMSD;
3. enhancing the monitoring of LPG suppliers by ensuring that the guidelines are strictly adhered to; and
4. continuing to conduct random tests on LPG samples on a regular basis to ensure their quality.
"These four areas of work could help enhance our monitoring of each and every segment of the LPG supply chain. We will, in future, conduct comprehensive reviews of the monitoring of supply and the quality of auto-LPG, with a view to strengthening the monitoring measures," said the Director.
The task force, set up by the EMSD following the LPG vehicle stalling incident, submitted the investigation report today. The report set out major findings of the investigation and made a number of recommendations to the EMSD, with a view to further improving the operation of LPG vehicles.
"The task force investigated the incident from four directions in 16 areas (at Annex A), covering the source of LPG supply, operation of LPG terminals and filling stations, as well as vehicle operation and maintenance etc. Based on the findings, the task force could not rule out the possibility that the LPG vehicle stalling incident was caused by more than one factor," said Mr Frank Chan, Chairman of the task force and Deputy Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services.
Key findings of the investigation cover four areas.
First, regarding the operation of LPG terminals, Sinopec's terminal operational procedures specified that upon the completion of receipt of LPG into the tank, the LPG should be allowed to settle for eight hours in the LPG tank under normal circumstances before clearing the residues and water at the bottom of the tank (the so-called "water draining operation"). The LPG could then be offloaded to LPG road tankers. Even when the turnover was tight, the LPG should be allowed to settle for at least four hours.
Records submitted by Sinopec indicated that during the key investigation period (December 10, 2009, to January 3, 2010), Sinopec had not followed its terminal operational procedures on eight occasions when conducting water draining operations, by allowing less than four hours for LPG to settle. The task force did not have any evidence to ascertain that those eight water draining operations, in which Sinopec was suspected not to have complied with its terminal operation procedures, were the direct cause of the incident. However, the task force considered that those water draining operations suspected not to have complied with procedures might have affected LPG quality.
Having carried out site inspection of the operation of Sinopec's LPG terminal facilities and checked the relevant records, the task force did not identify any other irregularity in the operation and maintenance of Sinopec's LPG terminal and LPG road tankers during the key investigation period, apart from the water draining operations.
Second, regarding the operation of LPG filling stations, the task force, having carried out site inspections of the operation of the facilities at Sinopec's filling stations and checked the relevant records, did not identify any irregularity in the operation and maintenance of Sinopec's filling stations during the key investigation period.
Third, regarding the quality of LPG, the EMSD had since January 7, 2010, taken a total of 14 LPG samples from different LPG terminals and filling stations, and from a fuel tank in an LPG vehicle which was reported to have experienced severe engine stalling problems. The laboratory test results showed that the quality of the LPG would not affect the performance of the vehicles.
Fourth, regarding the operation and maintenance of LPG vehicles, the task force considered that failure relating to mechanical parts or the fuel system was to be expected taking into account the mileage and age of the LPG vehicles. The task force did not have any evidence to ascertain that the maintenance of LPG vehicles was a direct cause of the incident. However, the task force considered that the maintenance and the proper functioning of LPG vehicles were interrelated to a certain extent.
In the light of the investigation findings, the task force recommended to the EMSD a number of improvement measures (at Annex B) with a view to enhancing the monitoring of LPG quality, improving the operation of LPG facilities as well as the repair and maintenance of LPG vehicles, so as to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents.
"Since the outbreak of the incident in early January, the EMSD has swiftly launched a series of measures to address the issue, including the setting up of a 24-hour hotline, the issue of contingency guidelines to the vehicle repair industry, the stepping up of monitoring of the operation of LPG suppliers, and the increase in coordination among LPG suppliers to ensure the stable supply of LPG. The number of engine stalling reports received by the hotline dropped steeply after the launch of these measures. Since January 12, the daily number of reports received has dropped to nil or a small number.
"We have, since January 7, collected LPG samples from LPG terminals and filling stations of various LPG suppliers for laboratory tests, and kept a close watch on the certificates of quality of LPG. All test results indicated that the quality of LPG was suitable for use by LPG vehicles. We will strictly enforce monitoring measures in the four areas on the LPG supply chain, including regular inspections, to secure the quality of LPG," said the Director.
Ends/Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Issued at HKT 18:33
NNNN
