Hidden danger lurks in aging pipelines

An excavator is used at the site of a pipeline explosion in Qingdao Development Zone, in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, Nov. 24, 2013. A leaking pipeline caught fire and exploded on Friday morning in Huangdao District of Qingdao. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

(ECNS) -- Hidden danger lurks in China's aging oil pipelines, about 60 percent of which have been used for more than 20 years, the China Securities Journal reports.

Death toll rises to 55 from Shandong oil pipeline blast

Two explosions occurred Friday in Qingdao as workers were repairing a ruptured section of the Dongying-Huangdao oil pipeline laid in 1986. Its owner is the China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec).

The 27-year-old pipeline is not a special case, the report said, citing Feng Qingshan, a department director at the China Petroleum Pipeline Bureau, who said that about 60 percent of China's oil pipelines have been used for more than 20 years and some in eastern areas for 30 years. Some pipelines laid in 1970s are still in service, he added.

Feng said those pipelines have become accident black spots, as changes or repairs are years overdue.

The report said more than 10 pipeline accidents have taken place in the past three years. Data show that China has higher accident rates, with three accidents per 1,000 kilometers a year, compared to 0.5 per 1,000 kilometers a year in the United States and 0.25 per 1,000 kilometers a year in the Europe Union.

As urban areas grow, rural areas along the aging pipelines have become increasingly crowded, hampering maintenance efforts. Some buildings stand within 5 meters of parts of the Dongying-Huangdao oil pipeline, the report said.

Guo Jishan, deputy secretary general of the Qingdao municipal government, said at least 11 different pipelines run below Huangdao and often overlap.

Li Qinglu, a professor at Shenyang University of Chemical Technology, said leaks from pipelines carrying chemical products can harm gas and oil pipelines, leading to accidents.