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The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) received a notification from the laboratory yesterday (April 8) that a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sample from ExxonMobil's LPG filling station at Clear Water Bay Road failed to meet the auto-LPG specifications under the EMSD's LPG quality routine sampling scheme. It informed ExxonMobil immediately of the test results and the station ceased the sale subsequently, a spokesman for the department said today (April 9).
There are 10 parameters in the auto-LPG specifications. It was found that the sample collected on April 2 this year failed in the evaporation residue test. Prolonged use of LPG that fails such test may affect the performance of vehicles. The EMSD will continue to maintain close liaison with the trades and monitor the situation to see if the incident has any impact on LPG vehicles. Up to now, there has been no report of any abnormal situation.
The EMSD has also arranged to collect samples from all the 17 auto-LPG filling stations and LPG terminals of ExxonMobil for quality tests. The test results received so far showed that all the five samples complied with the specified requirements. Tests for the remaining samples are being conducted. The results will be announced upon completion of the tests on April 11.
"We are very concerned about the case and are investigating the cause. We will continue to collect LPG samples for quality tests to ensure compliance with requirements. We have also asked ExxonMobil to submit a report, to implement appropriate measures for prevention of similar incidents, and to thoroughly check the filling facilities before re-opening the station," the spokesman said.
The EMSD launched the LPG sampling scheme in 2010, under which samples are collected regularly on a random basis from auto-LPG filling stations and LPG terminals for quality tests. All the test results are published on the EMSD's website and updated weekly.
For details of the test results, please visit the EMSD's website (www.emsd.gov.hk/emsd/eng/sgi/lpg_smpl_analysis.shtml) or call the department's hotline on 2333 3762.
Ends/Thursday, April 9, 2015
Issued at HKT 21:19
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