A questionnaire was sent to Sasol customer care in connection with the said activity in Lynnville.
The gas pipe is near the railway line. According to some information it was found out that this has been happening for sometime and the residents living near the pipeline confirmed the activities. Ward councillor Thabo Mnisi also confirmed that he has called Sasol and made them aware of the situation. He said at one stage two people were found digging copper cables and they ran away after seeing them. The copper cable theft was also reported to the police.
Sasol statement in connection with the gas pipeline reads: “At Sasol Gas, the safety of the public, our employees and the environment remains our first priority at all times. Our highly trained teams work hard to ensure that our pipeline systems are designed, constructed, operated, and maintained according to international benchmarked standards including relevant ISO standards and ASME B31.8.Our partners in safety management; the Provincial and Local Disaster Management Services, Emergency Management and Environmental Management Departments along with stringent third party auditing, assist us to continuously improve our key safety performance indicators.”
The Sasol Gas pipelines are identified by white vertical stakes and square block route-markers, which have been placed along the pipeline routes to make them visible. Regular patrol inspections are made on foot, by road and by air to monitor pipeline surface conditions, to check for unauthorised third party activities and to inspect for indications of leaks, encroachment or other factors that could impact the safety and operation of the pipelines.
“When violations are detected, corrective action is immediately requested to ensure that our gas pipeline network continues to deliver gas safely and reliably. All our equipment is inspected and maintained through a planned system. A support services team is responsible for planning services, new legislation awareness within operations, skills development and pipeline route inspections.
The team interacts with local authorities on service inquiries relating to Sasol’s gas projects. Regular engagement with land owners, servitude holders and community members along pipeline routes promotes emergency preparedness and prevents encroachment on right of way and servitudes,” added the statement from Sasol.
