Hundreds of thousands of liters
Huge oil fountain: German pipeline damaged
A dramatic incident occurred on a pipeline in the German state of Brandenburg on Wednesday: During work on the pipeline at the PCK refinery near Gramzow, a massive oil fountain suddenly shot upwards - up to 25 meters, according to media reports. Emergency services then arrived with heavy equipment to contain the uncontrolled leak. It is still unclear how severe the damage actually is.
According to the Brandenburg Ministry of the Environment, at least 200,000 liters of crude oil leaked in the afternoon near the village of Zehnebeck - around three kilometers from the center of Gramzow. The oil had shot out of a small leak in a pumping station near Gramzow in the Uckermark region at a pressure of around 20 bar, many meters high, said the head of the Schwedt fire brigade department, Alexander Trenn. The volume could be even greater. The pipeline connects Rostock with the refinery in Schwedt.
The spill occurred at a so-called gate valve station while work was being carried out on the pipeline. According to the ministry, the exact cause of the spill is not yet known.
Significant quantities of oil ended up in nature
The "Märkische Oderzeitung" newspaper reported an oil fountain that shot twelve to around 25 meters into the air, depending on the report. The authorities confirmed that it was a considerable amount of oil, but were unable to provide any further details on the extent or possible consequential damage in the evening.
According to him, around 100 firefighters were on site, as well as around 25 employees of the PCK refinery, which owns the pipeline. Even after hours, oil was still leaking in the evening, albeit in smaller quantities, as Trenn said. Special vacuum trucks are now being used to collect the oil, which is currently standing on a wet field. The operation in Zehnebeck, around three kilometers from the center of Gramzow, will continue for hours and will continue in the morning, he added.
Minister travels to the scene of the accident to assess the situation
PCK explained that, according to initial findings, the accident was caused by preparatory work for a planned safety test on the pipeline. "Intentional external influence can currently be ruled out."
Brandenburg's Environment Minister Hanka Mittelstädt announced that she would personally inspect the situation on Thursday at 12.30 pm. Only then, according to her office, will it be possible to say reliably how badly the environment has been affected and what measures need to be taken.
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