SC paves way for tests on newly repaired FPIC pipeline

MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court has temporarily lifted the writ of kalikasan it issued against the white oil pipeline (WOPL) of the First Philippine Industrial Corporation (FPIC) to allow for the conduct of leak tests that would determine structural integrity of the pipeline.

In a resolution dated Nov. 22, 2011 but was released to the media Mond), the high court gave FPIC 48 hours to conduct the test.

The lifting of the writ of temporary protection order (TEPO) will be “for the duration of not more than 48 hours from the start of the proposed test runs and only for the duration of said tests in order for FPIC to conduct the tests for purposes of checking the integrity of the WOPL.”

The WOPL, which extends 117 kilometers from Batangas province to Manila’s Pandacan district, is leaked near the West Tower Condominum in Makati City.

It was unilaterally closed by FPIC on Oct. 27, 2010, a month before the high court issued the TEPO.

FPIC President Tony Mabasa said they have finished repairing the sole leak of the white pipeline in November last year and it passed the tightness test.

The pressure tests which will be conducted on December 14 will determine if the pipeline can resume operations.

The tests entail running a scraper pig to eliminate air gaps within the pipeline prior to the conduct of the pressure controlled leak test.

The test was recommended by the Department of Energy’s pipeline integrity expert, Societe Generale de Surveillance (SGS).

It will be conducted before SGS and West Tower representatives.