Residents of Ahn Township in Rakhine state are worried that the Shwe gas-pipeline will be hazardous once gas starts flowing, after the pipeline leaked gas and burst into flames on September 13.
The pipeline is undergoing test runs for transportation of gas from Kyauk Phyu in Rakhine state to Kunming in China.
Ko Hla Soe Maw told Mizzima that the residents in Kyauk Myaung village, Thabyu Chai Group in Ahn Township were in an uproar since gas leaked from a joint and led to a fire at 6 pm on September 13.
“The residents are terrified. Many people have come to watch this and children are crying. We are very worried as gas will start flowing soon. We will be all gone if the pipe gets wrecked. We don’t know what to do”, said Ko Hla Soe.
This is first time that the pipe has leaked gas but residents pointed out that there were leakages earlier on 2 occasions when the pipelines were tested with water. The spot where the gas leaked is located half a mile away from Kyauk Myaung village.
Officials from the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), who are operating the Shwe gas-pipeline, visited the spot on September 14.
According to Ko Hla Soe Maw, the situation has been brought under control but residents are still very worried about what happened.
“The current gas flow level has not even reached its maximum capacity. The situation will be critical if something like this happens when the test period is over”, said Ko Tun Tun Naing from the Myanmar-China pipeline Watch Group.
The Shwe Natural Gas Pipeline, was successfully tested for transporting gas from Kyauk Phyu to Mandalay on July 29. Natural gas will flow in the pipeline from Kyauk Phyu to China, passing through 21 townships including Ahn, Magway, Kyauktadar, Kyauksel, Mandalay, Pyin Oo Lwin, Kyauk Mae, Thi Paw and Kyay Thee.
The Shwe Gas Pipeline project is a joint endeavor of the CNPC and the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise. The pipeline is a 30 years long-term project, and the Myanmar Government will receive USD 29 billion from it.
